Willpower is the mental ability to resist temptations, sometimes called urges, impulses, or bad habits, in order to meet long-term goals. Willpower is usually linked to practical skills, not virtues or ethics, and experts say that it is neutral. Having or lacking willpower is neither good nor bad, nor right or wrong.
What You Believe About Willpower Is Just as Important as Your Willpower
- Limited theory says that you only have so much willpower and once your stores are depleted, your willpower runs out
- Non-limited theory states that willpower is like a muscle. The more you use it, the more you have. Successfully resisting temptations throughout the day reinforces your willpower
- Over the years, research has changed the understanding of how willpower works
- Evidence shows that it is your belief about willpower that affects how you respond to demands
Willpower Beliefs Are Linked to Health and Well-Being
- One study looked at willpower beliefs and well-being in diabetes patients
- It found that people who believed willpower was limited also felt they had less control over their health
- People who believed they only had so much willpower weren’t able to manage their diabetes
- In another study, students with limited willpower beliefs ate more unhealthy food, had more trouble regulating their stress, and procrastinated more
How You Draw on Your Willpower Is Key
- Effortful willpower is a type of willpower that involves suppression. This means you actively block urges and temptations
- Effortless willpower is your ability to motivate yourself to stick to a plan by using rewards, expecting your temptations, and making adjustments
- The more your goal is connected to your values and your self, the more effortless willpower you use and the less likely you are to rely on actively blocking urges
Willpower Isn’t Key to Addiction Recovery
- You might have been told that addiction is a problem with self-control. But this isn’t true
- In fact, research showed that people with addiction described themselves as strong-willed or very strong-willed
- Addiction is a long-term brain disease
- Your brain physically changes when you have an addiction and it takes treatment and rehabilitation to get it back to its normal state
