46: Discipline | Chapter 3 | Minding The Brain Towards Change

The Emil Barna Podcast

In this episode, psychotherapist Emil Barna reads the revised third chapter to his 2017 book Minding The Brain Towards Change: What Willpower Really Means For Addiction.
Here is a snippet from the book:
"People do things that require self-control every single day without needing to reason themselves into it. Getting up as soon as your alarm goes off in the morning requires willpower. As does holding your tongue when somebody pisses you off. Flossing your teeth requires the same thing. The more these are practised, the more your body acclimates. In sessions, I often talk about the discipline of “one is better than none.” One push-up is better than no push-ups. One glass of water is better than none. One dollar is better than no dollars. You get the point. What I find when I emphasise this is that people don’t usually stop at one. Because doing something once is relatively simple, they create a sense of mastery and are more likely to take another step forward. The same is the case in practising willpower. One is always better than none."
—Chapter Summary

Main Points

• The amount of willpower energy you have is affected by the type of drug you consume. Get to know the drugs you take so that you can know how that affect your self-control in other areas of your life.
• Ego-depletion hits the more you use self-control for a particular task.
• The more you practice self-control (even in unrelated tasks to the one you are trying to change), the stronger it gets. Self-control is generalisable.
• Self-awareness is pivotal for self-regulation—the more you understand yourself and your surroundings, the better you can regulate your behaviour. Willpower is the energy behind self-control.

Practical Considerations

• Commit to understanding yourself by asking questions, seeking different points of view, and being open to discomfort along the way. If you never challenge why you believe what you do, it is difficult to get better. Question yourself, often, How did I come to that conclusion?
• Remind yourself that the more you understand your triggers, the more control you have around your destructive habits.
• Watch what you eat and choose foods that fill you up for longer and give you longer lasting energy.
• Practice, practice, practice. The more you practice self-control, the stronger you become.Keep your body well-nourished for the exercise of energy

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