Transcript willpower - Well Being University

WILLPOWER
The science of self-control &
how it can build your resilience
Compiled by the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at George Mason University
Your task for today
Place your phone onto the desk, screen up.
Do not check it this entire presentation.
4 ingredients of willpower
1. Standards - ideals and standards you hold for yourself
2. Monitoring - ability and willingness to keep track of your behavior
3. Deployment - the extent to which, in a given situation, you are
able to actively exert self-control
4. Motivation - your willingness to achieve a specific goal in a given
situation
Why can’t I “just do it”?
Your willpower muscle
Fatigue: The more you exert your willpower, the more
fatigued your willpower muscle becomes. As a result,
you have less resources to devote to exerting willpower.
Spillover effect: exerting willpower on one task reduces
your ability to exert willpower on another task, even if
the tasks are unrelated.
Strengthening: like a muscle, the more you exercise your
willpower, the stronger your willpower will become.
Recharging your Batteries
You can counteract self-regulation depletion by inducing positive emotions,
resting, or participating in activities that give you energy. Some suggestions:
1. Watch a funny video
2. Give a friend a spontaneous gift
3. Save funny photos (memes, comic strips, posts) to look at later
4. Exercise
5. Read
6. Nap
Why is willpower good?
Helps with managing finances, eating, and other regimens
Earn better grades, maintain healthier relationships, and manage mental health
Better self-esteem
Better emotion regulation ability
Fewer eating, drug, and alcohol disorders
Poor willpower related to higher crime rates
Research study: The spillover effects of willpower
People who spent 2 months in a physical exercise program with a personal
trainer…
Improved their physical health
Smoked less cigarettes
Drank less alcohol
Ate less junk food
Watched less TV
Impulsively spent money less often
Were less likely to leave dirty dishes in the sink
Phone check in.
How did you do?
What did you notice?
How hard was it?
Building your willpower muscle
Monitor posture
Commit to two months of an exercise routine 3-6 days a week. Create a
schedule and/or use a personal trainer.
Mason tip: MasonRecreation.gmu.edu for trainers, student
discounts, and FREE fitness class schedules
Record what you eat and follow a nutrition plan.
Mason tip: FREE on campus dietitian: [email protected]