the science of willpower kelly mcgonigal

To be effective at controlling our urges and making sound decisions, the prefontal cortex needs to be looked after. Self-control, or willpower, falls under this heading, and thus is taken care of in this part of the brain. The prefontal cortex (that section of the brain right behind your forehead) is the part that helps us with things like decision-making and regulating our behavior. Or you know you should do something, like file your taxes or go to the gym, but you’d rather do nothing. You want to do one thing, such as smoke a cigarette or supersize your lunch, but know you shouldn’t. The willpower response is a reaction to an internal conflict. Kelly McGonigal, PhD and author of The Willpower Instinct says willpower is a response that comes from both the brain and the body. What willpower is and how it works in the brain Each one has been fun to focus on, but it’s hard to keep more than one new habit going at a time-partly because it takes so much willpower. I’ve been through a bunch of different improvement focuses in the last few months, including positivity, running, reading more and learning French. There’s still a lot of work to be done for self-improvement to be effective, though.

We each pick an area to improve on each week and share our daily progress and challenges, making it a social, supportive way to adjust, create or change our habits. One of the key parts of our culture at Buffer is a focus on self-improvement.

The science of willpower kelly mcgonigal