The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of It

THE BODY’S WILLPOWER “RESERVE”
The single best physiological measurement of the pause-and-plan response is something called heart
rate variability—a measurement most people have never heard of, but one that provides an amazing
window into the body’s state of stress or calm. Everybody’s heart rate varies to some degree. This is
easy to feel when you run up the stairs and your heart rate soars. But if you’re healthy, your heart rate
has had some normal ups and downs even as you’ve read this page. We’re not talking dangerous
arrhythmias here.
Just little variations. Your heart speeds up a bit when you inhale: buh-dum buh-dum buh-dum. It slows
down again when you exhale: buh-dum buh-dum buh-dum. This is good. This is healthy. It means that
your heart is getting signals from both branches of your autonomic nervous system: the sympathetic
nervous system, which revs the body into action, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which
promotes relaxation and healing in the body.
When people are under stress, the sympathetic nervous system takes over, which is part of the basic
biology that helps you fight or flee. Heart rate goes up, and variability goes down. The heart gets
“stuck” at a higher rate—contributing to the physical feelings of anxiety or anger that accompany the
fight-or-flight response. In contrast, when people successfully exert self-control, the parasympathetic
nervous system steps in to calm stress and control impulsive action. Heart rate goes down, but
variability goes up. When this happens, it contributes to a sense of focus and calm. Segerstrom first
observed this physiological signature of self-control when she asked hungry students not to eat freshly
baked chocolate-chip cookies. (It was a cruel setup, actually—the students had been asked to fast in
preparation for a taste test. When they arrived, they were taken into a room with a tempting display of
warm chocolate-chip cookies, chocolate candy, and carrots. Then they were told: Eat all the carrots
you want, but don’t touch the cookies or candy. Those are for the next participants. Reluctantly, they
had to resist the sweets—and that’s when heart rate variability went up. The lucky control
participants who were asked to “resist” the carrots but enjoy all the cookies and candy they wanted?
No change.)
Heart rate variability is such a good index of willpower that you can use it to predict who will
resist temptation, and who will give in. For example, recovering alcoholics whose heart rate
variability goes up when they see a drink are more likely to stay sober. Recovering alcoholics who
show the opposite response—their heart rate variability 
drops
when they see a drink—have a greater
risk of relapse. Studies also show that people with higher heart rate variability are better at ignoring
distractions, delaying gratification, and dealing with stressful situations. They are also less likely to
give up on difficult tasks, even when they initially fail or receive critical feedback. These findings
have led psychologists to call heart rate variability the body’s “reserve” of willpower—a
physiological measure of your capacity for self-control. If you have high heart rate variability, you
have more willpower available for whenever temptation strikes.
Why are some people lucky enough to face willpower challenges with high heart rate variability,
while others meet temptation at a distinct physiological disadvantage? Many factors influence your
willpower reserve, from what you eat (plant-based, unprocessed foods help; junk food doesn’t) to
where you live (poor air quality decreases heart rate variability—yes, L.A.’s smog may be
contributing to the high percentage of movie stars in rehab). 
Anything
that puts a stress on your mind
or body can interfere with the physiology of self-control, and by extension, sabotage your willpower.

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Anxiety, anger, depression, and loneliness are all associated with lower heart rate variability and less
self-control. Chronic pain and illness can also drain your body and brain’s willpower reserve. But
there are just as many things you can do that shift the body and mind toward the physiology of self-
control. The focus meditation you learned in the last chapter is one of the easiest and most effective
ways to improve the biological basis of willpower. It not only trains the brain, but also increases
heart rate variability. Anything else that you do to reduce stress and take care of your health—
exercise, get a good night’s sleep, eat better, spend quality time with friends and family, participate in
a religious or spiritual practice—will improve your body’s willpower reserve.
WILLPOWER EXPERIMENT: BREATHE YOUR WAY TO SELF-
CONTROL
You won’t find many quick fixes in this book, but there is one way to immediately boost
willpower: Slow your breathing down to four to six breaths per minute. That’s ten to fifteen
seconds per breath—slower than you normally breathe, but not difficult with a little bit of
practice and patience. Slowing the breath down activates the prefrontal cortex and increases
heart rate variability, which helps shift the brain and body from a state of stress to self-control
mode. A few minutes of this technique will make you feel calm, in control, and capable of
handling cravings or challenges.
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It’s a good idea to practice slowing down your breath before you’re staring down a
cheesecake. Start by timing yourself to see how many breaths you normally take in one minute.
Then begin to slow the breath down without holding your breath (that will only increase stress).
For most people, it’s easier to slow down the exhalation, so focus on exhaling slowly and
completely (pursing your lips and imagining that you are exhaling through a straw in your mouth
can help). Exhaling fully will help you breathe in more fully and deeply without struggling. If
you don’t quite get down to four breaths a minute, don’t worry. Heart rate variability steadily
increases as your breathing rate drops below twelve per minute.
Research shows that regular practice of this technique can make you more resilient to stress
and build your willpower reserve. One study found that a daily twenty-minute practice of
slowed breathing increased heart rate variability and reduced cravings and depression among
adults recovering from substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder. Heart rate variability
training programs (using similar breathing exercises) have also been used to improve self-
control and decrease the stress of cops, stock traders, and customer service operators—three of
the most stressful jobs on the planet. And because it takes only one to two minutes of breathing at
this pace to boost your willpower reserve, it’s something you can do whenever you face a
willpower challenge.

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