Question 1

Does failing to exert willpower cause lack of willpower?

Roy Baumeister · Accepted Answer

interesting question! I do not know that anyone has tested this. However, one can certainly fall into general habits of laziness.

Question 2

What is ego depletion and how does it effect willpower?

Roy Baumeister · Accepted Answer

ego depletion is a state of temporary low willpower. After you expend energy, the body seeks to conserve energy.

Question 3

What is the most efficient way to replenish willpower?

Roy Baumeister · Accepted Answer

Food will work to some degree. Mind the glycemic index. For quick (but brief) effect, sugary snacks provide fast energy. For a longer period, protein is better.

Question 4

What are some habits that strengthen willpower?

Roy Baumeister · Accepted Answer

Habits do not strengthen willpower. Nature enabled us to form habits because these are fairly automatic, which means they do not require willpower.

Question 5

Does lack of sleep lead to a lack of willpower?

Roy Baumeister · Accepted Answer

Yes. We find biggest effects with people who get less than five hours of sleep. Note that quality of sleep matters also. Nine hours of poor sleep will leave you with willpower problems.

Question 6

Why doesn’t willpower seem to work for my weightloss and diet?

Roy Baumeister · Accepted Answer

Self-control and willpower help a little with dieting, but the effects are small. There are many things that affect dieting other than self-control. Plus, there is what the Willpower book called the 'catch-22' of dieting: not eating deprives your body of the energy needed for self-control.

Question 7

Is there an advantage of making a plan of when and how you use your willpower?

Roy Baumeister · Accepted Answer

Yes! Planning is generally helpful and adaptive, and planning how to use your limited willpower will enable you to get the most from this important resource.

Question 8

What daily exercises can I do to build up the strength of my self control?

Roy Baumeister · Accepted Answer

We discuss that at some length in the Willpower book. Small habit-breaking exercises are a good place to start. Improve your posture by sitting and standing up straight. improve your speech (reducing curse words, favoring complete sentences, using full names instead of abbreviations). In some studies we have right-handed people switch to left hand for mundane tasks such as opening doors, brushing teeth, drinking from a cup.

Question 9

The idea that starting an addiction (especially an illegal one) can take more self-control than quitting one is fascinating! Does this idea have any practical application for addiction treatment or counselling?

Roy Baumeister · Accepted Answer

Self-control can be used for starting an addiction, also for maintaining it (especially while keeping the rest of life in good shape). But probably it takes more self-control to quit than to start. People in addiction treatment or counseling usually want to stop, but if they want to maintain the addiction, they need self-control. For example, it is possible to smoke cigarettes regularly these days, but it takes planning and discipline, because smoking is prohibited in many places. Apart from that, I think the answer to the question is no.

Question 10

How can you enhance willpower, or maintain willpower, in the face of chronic or intense physical pain?

Roy Baumeister · Accepted Answer

This is quite difficult. Chronic pain leaves people feeling depleted (of willpower) all the time. I hope you are getting medical help with the pain. Beyond that, food and sleep are helpful.

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