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IJCH - Inside JaiChai's Head (meaning: My warped, personal opinions and musings)

From the Author

Salutations.

I am JaiChai.

And if I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you before, I'm delighted to make your acquaintance now.

Introduction

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Intuitively, we all strive toward what Martin Seligman (of Positive Psychology fame) defines as “Happiness”.

Seligman’s submits that Happiness is made up of three dimensions: The Pleasant Life, The Good Life, and The Meaningful Life.

It is The Pleasant Life that serves as the foundation upon which the other dimensions are built.

According to Seligman, manifesting The Pleasant Life requires careful attention to our body’s needs, stressing that sound nutrition and regular exercise is paramount.

But as we all know, putting that advice into practice is easier said than done and fraught with willpower issues.

With regards to the subject of diet, exercise, and willpower, I submit that most people have an incomplete paradigm; looking through their “pinhole perspectives”, while blissfully going about things in the wrong way.

What I am referring to is the commonly practiced, but self-defeating attempt to avoid being overwhelmed by trying to deal with one issue at a time.

I believe this is an overly narrow approach, neglects the broad nature of the processes involved, and operates from a false premise (i.e, that they can be effectively handled separately).

In this article, I posit that diet, exercise and cognition should be viewed as active members of one psycho-physiological "willpower ecosystem"; that is, each component affects the others. I will reveal how all three are strongly intertwined to produce a positive or a negative outcome.

Focus will be put on what an individual can do to enhance willpower and prevent willpower erosion (also known as ego depletion).

To this end, I will discuss willpower, ego depletion and its importance in our lives, explore the influential factors of diet and exercise that can build or erode willpower; and suggest a few effective ways and means for building willpower and staving-off ego depletion.

Willpower

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To some extent, everybody exercises willpower on a daily basis.

We either do or refrain from doing something several times a day. But what is willpower and why is it so important? Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines willpower as: the ability to control yourself; strong determination that allows you to do something difficult.

This self-control or self-discipline is what’s commonly referred to as “willpower”. And the presence or absence of willpower at any given moment has far-reaching implications for everyone.

For example, Angela Duckworth, PhD and Martin Seligman, PhD, from the University of Pennsylvania found that eight-grade students who rated themselves high on willpower (self-control) earned higher grades, had less absenteeism, higher scores on standardized tests, and higher admission rates into elite high school programs.

This willpower-success pattern continues throughout the college years.

June Tangney, PhD, and her colleagues of George Mason University conducted a study of undergrads’ willpower and its effect on academic and social success.

The results showed that undergrads rating themselves as having strong willpower (high self-control) had higher GPA’s, higher self-esteem, better social skills, and less destructive behaviors (i.e., alcoholism, drug addiction, eating disorders, etc.).

The longterm, 32 year study conducted by Terrie Moffitt, PhD, of Duke University reinforces willpower’s link to success in life.

The subjects of his study possessing strong willpower led healthier lives (both physically and mentally) and enjoyed significantly lower rates of substance abuse, criminal convictions, and financial distress.

Clearly then, since willpower can make or break success in every aspect (and at every stage) of our lives, the importance of willpower cannot be overstated.

In the book “Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength”, Baumeister and Tierney explain the phenomenon of willpower and “ego depletion” by using the analogy of a muscle and the way it functions.

The authors contend that similar to a muscle, willpower can show signs of fatigue from overuse.

Ego (Willpower) Depletion

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In the famous “Chocolate Chip Cookie and Radish” experiment , Baumeister’s study showed that the willpower used to resist the cookies apparently left the subjects with less willpower to employ for future situations that also required willpower.

This is when the weakening of willpower was coined “ego depletion” by Baumeister in deference to Sigmund Freud6 (Note: another popular name for diminished capacity of willpower among psychologists, especially psychologists who are not Freud fans, is “Willpower Depletion”).

Since Baumeister’s cookie experiment, many studies have been done on this ego depletion phenomenon. Some researchers had their subjects suppress a laugh or mask their natural reactions to severe images of injury or disease; while others tasked their subjects to remain diplomatic among irrational or obnoxious people; or even requiring them to confront a hostile crowd and attempt to win them over.

These situations all took their toll and lead to a weakening of willpower - “ego depletion”.

Contrary to popular belief, mental fatigue and psychological stress contribute more to ego depletion than physical fatigue.

Research from the University of Toronto hints toward a psycho-physiological connection between willpower and ego depletion.

The study showed that ego depletion produces physiological changes in the brain; causing a marked decrease of activity in the region of the brain involved with cognition (the anterior cingulate cortex).

In short, when your willpower is taxed and you are experiencing ego depletion, your brain doesn’t function as usual.

And it is the level of your cognitive functions that holds the key to staving-off ego depletion and preserving your willpower.

Kathleen Vohs, PhD, and her colleagues from the University of Minnesota found that, unlike the subjects in her study who experienced severe ego depletion when asked to perform normally ego depleting tasks, some people suffered far less than the others.

Why?

They were not placed in situations where they had to modify their normal behavior; acting naturally and thereby, using much less willpower to do the task.

This is why some people get white-knuckled ego depletion when ordered to speak in front of an audience, while others relish it (e.g., professors, actors, politicians, etc.).

In short, just like many things in life, ego depletion severity per scenario depends on the individual’s mindset (cognition).

An example of this is the conclusion from the 2010 study at Stanford University by Veronika Job, PhD. She found that subjects who believed that willpower was a limited resource suffered from ego depletion; while those who believed that willpower was not so finite had a sort of an immunity against ego depletion.

These research studies and conclusions all point to one thing: the best defense against inordinate ego depletion is maintaining sharp cognitive functions.

Basically, in willpower depletion scenarios, the way you see the problem is the problem. And the keener your cognitive skills, the less likelihood that you will become ego depleted.

The Only Brain Fuel

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But how does one maintain sharp cognitive functions?

The answer is discussed at great length in Baumeister and Tierney’s “Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength”. And it is the one chemical from the diet that has the greatest impact on cognitive functions.

It's also thoroughly discussed by the authors and depicted in their many humorous stories and anecdotes throughout the book.

What is this mysterious, magical substance?

Hint: It is a carbohydrate, a monosaccharide. It is THE ONLY FUEL FOR THE BRAIN. And the brain requires a steady supply of it 24/7.

What is this all-powerful brain nutrient?

Answer: It’s the simple sugar called glucose.

And bizarre behavior results when the levels are too low (hypoglycemia). Laboratory tests have proven that ego depletion forces your brain to use (and require) more glucose.

This willpower-glucose relationship goes the other way too; that is, replenishing low glucose levels to normal can replenish willpower. For instance, a study showed sweetened lemonade restored willpower, while sugar-free lemonade produced no change.

The Exercise Factor

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But what if you are eating a balanced diet rich in complex, slow-burning sources of carbohydrates (e.g., vegetables, whole-grain breads, un-bleached rice, etc.) and your willpower is still unusually prone to ego depletion?

And try as you might, you still cannot “think your way out of the distress”?

Simple answer?

Exercise.

In the paper “The positive impact of physical activity during adulthood: a review of underlying mechanisms, evidence and recommendations”, John J. Ratey and James E. Loehr, through extensive laboratory tests, show that exercise improves brain function, especially frontal lobe cognitive functions (e.g., scheduling, planning, memory-oriented tasks, etc.).

The authors stressed how regular exercise retards the loss of brain volume as we age, especially in the regions of the brain that mediate cognitive functions.

For the scientists out there: Physical activity increases, at the molecular level, the availability of neurotrophins and growth enhancing factors within the brain.

For the rest of us, it’s simple.

Exercise keeps the brain sharp. And of course, this is why exercise is so vital for willpower maintenance and ego depletion defense.

In other words, exercise enables our brain to function at top cognitive levels; the cognition that both shields you from much of life’s ego depletion situations and effectively equips you with the tools to mitigate them.

Mindset And Cognitive Rehearsal

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So, let’s assume that you are not hypoglycemic and fit. Now what?

As mentioned earlier, your cognition (mindset) is your safeguard from ego depletion.

Just like Olympic athletes that rehearse success, you can rehearse willpower success. Pre-enact every detail of your success. You will find that your normal ego depletion situations will slowly be less and less depleting.

It’s inevitable.

We are humans with almost an infinite capacity for learning and adaptation.

Unfortunately, most will pay lip-service to this solid advice and prefer familiar misery to what appears to be dangerous, unknown waters.

To each his own.

But if you have come this far in this article, let me share a universal truth that emerges from all the research investigating willpower.

If you have a scarcity mentality; that is, you believe that willpower is a limited resource, you’re right.

If you have an abundance mentality; meaning: willpower is inexhaustible, you surely will suffer less ego depletion than most.

Conclusion

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In this article, I put forth my claim that diet, exercise, and willpower should be viewed as active members of one psycho-physiological ecosystem.

Your personal level of cognitive functions is crucial for all of willpower and ego depletion.

Glucose, the brain’s only fuel, must be supplied continuously via a sound diet. Low glucose levels manifest in a host of crazy behaviors and invites ego depletion.

Diet, exercise and cognition are dynamic members of a psycho-physiological "willpower ecosystem" where each component affects the others.

Harmonious, they produce an upward spiral of success, health, and happiness.

If not, the opposite is true.

We have seen how sharp cognition can mitigate ego depletion.

Fortunately, exercise provides the means to bolster your cognitive skills and add to your ego depletion immunity.

Parting Shot:

“Now, maybe, just maybe, the way you look at something will prevent problems, instead of creating them...”

By JaiChai

References:

Mligman; M Csikszentmihalyi, Positive Psychology: An Introduction. American Psychologist 55 (1): 5–14. [doi:10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.5. PMID 11392865] (2000)

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/willpower

A Duckworth; M Seligman, Self-discipline outdoes IQ in predicting academic performance in adolescents. Psychological Science, 16(12), (2005), pp939-944.

J Tangney; R Baumester, RA Boone, High self-control predicts good adjustment, less pathology, better grades, and interpersonal success. Journal of Personality, 72(2). (2004), pp271-324.

T Moffitt; et al, A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108 (2011), pp2693-2698.

R Baumeister; J Tierney, Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength (Penguin Press, 2011)

K Vohs; et al, Ego depletion is not just fatigue: Evidence from a total sleep deprivation experiment. Social Psychological , Personality Science, 18(2), (2011), pp166-173.

V Job; et al, Ego depletion - is it all in your head? Implicit theories about willpower affect self-regulation. Psychological Science, 21(11). (2010), 1686-1693

J Ratey; J Loehr, The positive impact of physical activity on cognition during adulthood: a review of underlying mechanisms, evidence and recommendations. (Neuroscience Review 2011)

Thanks for stopping by.

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About the Author

Believing that school was too boring, he dropped out of High School early; only to earn an AA, BS and MBA in less than 4 years much later in life – while working full-time as a Navy/Marine Corps Medic.

After 24 years of active duty, he retired in Asia.

Since then, he's been a full-time, single father and actively pursuing his varied passions (Writing, Disruptive Technology, Computer Science and Cryptocurrency - and more hobbies too boring or bizarre for most folk).

He lives on an island paradise with his teenage daughter, longtime girlfriend and three dogs.

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