Improve Willpower in 5 Mins | How Heart Rate Variability helps Brain Function

Key Concepts:

• Willpower
• Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
• Sympathetic Nervous System
• Parasympathetic Nervous System
• Fight or Flight Response
• Pause and Plan Response
• Prefrontal Cortex
• Physiology and Behavior

Willpower and the Zelda Game Example:

Casey Neistat describes an ironic situation where, while listening to an audiobook about willpower ("The Willpower Instinct" by Kelly McGonigal), he was undermining his own willpower by playing the new Zelda game excessively. He initially intended to play for 30 minutes, but it quickly escalated to hours. This resulted in a decreased capacity for willpower in other areas of his life, making it harder to focus on work and leading to him zoning out on his smartphone or social media.

Breathing Technique for Improved Willpower:

To combat this, Casey implemented a breathing technique from "The Willpower Instinct": breathing in for 10 seconds and breathing out for 10 seconds, for 5-10 minutes. This technique helped dissolve tension and improve focus.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Explained:

The video explains that this breathing technique improves heart rate variability (HRV). Heart rate is the average heart rate over one minute. HRV refers to the variations in the time between heartbeats (pings). A higher HRV is a good thing. If there is precisely one ping every second, then your heart rate is 60 beats per minute but you have virtually no heart rate variability. If there’s .85 seconds between the first two pings and then 0.90 seconds between the second two and then .95 seconds then .90 seconds again and so on, then you have some heart rate variability. This is a good thing.

The Autonomic Nervous System and HRV:

Heart rate changes throughout the day, speeding up during inhalation and slowing down during exhalation. Smooth variation is ideal, indicating that the heart is receiving signals from both the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and the parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation and digestion). People with higher HRV are better at ignoring distractions, delaying gratification, dealing with stress, and persisting through difficult tasks. HRV is considered the body's "reserve" of willpower.

Pause and Plan Response vs. Fight or Flight:

HRV is the best physiological measurement of the "pause and plan response," which is the opposite of the fight or flight response. The fight or flight response directs energy to the body, away from the brain. The pause and plan response, triggered by the prefrontal cortex, transfers energy from the body to the brain to enable self-control. This involves slowing down heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing.

Suzanne Segerstrom's Cookie Study:

The video references a study by Suzanne Segerstrom at the University of Kentucky, where hungry students resisted eating freshly baked cookies. Their HRV increased as they resisted, while the HRV of those who ate the cookies remained the same.

HRV and Addiction Recovery:

HRV can predict the likelihood of resisting cravings. Recovering alcoholics whose HRV increases when they see a drink are more likely to stay sober, while those whose HRV decreases are at greater risk of relapse.

Self-Control and Alcohol Metabolism:

A University of Kentucky study compared alcohol metabolism in men with similar body compositions but different levels of self-control. Those with higher self-control had lower blood alcohol content (BAC) after consuming the same amount of alcohol. The study gives an example where two men with different levels of self control each have two drinks “Then, their supervisor from work arrives unexpectedly, and they spend the next 30 min regulating their behavior so as to appear sober. All else being equal, the present results suggest that the man with high trait self-control will likely have a BAC around .026, and the man with low self-control will have a BAC around .032 – approximately 20% higher."

Factors Influencing HRV:

Factors like anxiety, anger, depression, poor sleep, loneliness, and poor air quality are associated with lower HRV. Regular exercise, proper diet, meditation, and controlled breathing can improve HRV. A study showed that 20 minutes of daily slowed breathing improved HRV and reduced cravings and depression in adults recovering from substance abuse and PTSD.

Dr. Alan Watkins' Demonstration:

The video references a presentation by Dr. Alan Watkins, who demonstrated how slow, rhythmic breathing can quickly improve HRV. A volunteer's erratic heart rate smoothed out after beginning to breathe in a controlled manner.

Physiology as the Root of Behavior:

Dr. Watkins emphasizes that physiology is fundamental to behavior. To improve behavior, one must address their physiology. Negative emotional states make it difficult to change thoughts, and emotional states are influenced by feedback between the brain and body. Stress, even from seemingly minor sources, can trigger the physiology of stress, affecting emotions, thoughts, and behavior.

Conclusion:

The video emphasizes the importance of controlling one's physiology, particularly through breathing techniques, to improve willpower and self-control. By slowing down breathing, one can improve HRV, engage the pause and plan response, and direct more energy to the prefrontal cortex, leading to better decision-making and behavior.