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Published Oct 9, 2023

How to Increase Your Willpower & Tenacity | Huberman Lab Podcast

Andrew Huberman delves into the neurobiology of willpower, discussing how exercise and mindset can enhance mental resilience and exploring the interplay between glucose, the anterior midcingulate cortex, and willpower regulation. He demystifies the ego depletion theory and provides actionable insights into overcoming psychological limitations.
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  • Exercise Impact

    Physical exercise plays a crucial role in enhancing willpower and tenacity by engaging specific brain regions. highlights a study showing that moderate-intensity cardiovascular training can maintain or even increase the volume of the anterior mid cingulate cortex, a brain area linked to willpower 1. This suggests that engaging in regular physical activity, especially exercises that push us beyond our comfort zones, can significantly boost our mental resilience.

    The ability to engage the anterior mid cingulate cortex and to build up its volume, literally, and increase its activity relies on one critical feature, which is that you have to be in some degree of resistance.

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    Huberman emphasizes that the key is not just the physical activity itself but the challenge it presents, which is essential for fostering tenacity and willpower 2.

       

    Daily Challenges

    Daily challenges, or "micro sucks," are effective tools for enhancing willpower and tenacity. explains that these are tasks that require overcoming resistance, such as doing extra exercises or resisting distractions during workouts 3. These challenges activate the anterior mid cingulate cortex, reinforcing the neural circuits associated with willpower.

    These little micro sucks... can be very useful.

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    Huberman notes that engaging in difficult tasks without a clear endpoint, like academic or athletic challenges, further builds tenacity by continuously pushing one's limits 4 5.

       

    Psychological Tools

    Understanding the psychological aspects of willpower is essential for effectively enhancing it. discusses the concept of willpower as a limited resource, a theory known as ego depletion, which suggests that willpower can be drained through repeated use 6. However, he emphasizes the importance of mindset and psychological tools in managing and boosting willpower.

    Understanding the psychology of tenacity and willpower... will allow you to use and to tailor the specific protocols for enhancing tenacity and willpower to your unique circumstances.

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    Huberman highlights the need to distinguish willpower from habit execution, focusing on the neural mechanisms that support tenacity and willpower 7.

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