Hacker News Comments on "The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It" Amazon Repository

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Hacker News Comments on
The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It

Kelly McGonigal · 3 HN comments

HN Books has aggregated all Hacker News stories and comments that mention "The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It" by Kelly McGonigal.

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Amazon Summary

Based on Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal's wildly popular course "The Science of Willpower," The Willpower Instinct is the first book to explain the science of self-control and how it can be harnessed to improve our health, happiness, and productivity. Informed by the latest research and combining cutting-edge insights from psychology, economics, neuroscience, and medicine, The Willpower Instinct explains exactly what willpower is, how it works, and why it matters. For example, readers will learn: • Willpower is a mind-body response, not a virtue. It is a biological function that can be improved through mindfulness, exercise, nutrition, and sleep. • Willpower is not an unlimited resource. Too much self-control can actually be bad for your health. • Temptation and stress hijack the brain's systems of self-control, but the brain can be trained for greater willpower • Guilt and shame over your setbacks lead to giving in again, but self-forgiveness and self-compassion boost self-control. • Giving up control is sometimes the only way to gain self-control. • Willpower failures are contagious—you can catch the desire to overspend or overeat from your friends—but you can also catch self-control from the right role models. In the groundbreaking tradition of Getting Things Done, The Willpower Instinct combines life-changing prescriptive advice and complementary exercises to help readers with goals ranging from losing weight to more patient parenting, less procrastination, better health, and greater productivity at work.

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Hacker News Stories and Comments

All the comments and stories posted to Hacker News that reference this book.

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Sep 26, 2019 · jugjug on Ask HN: What is your morning routine?

I go to the park nearby for two to three hours the first thing in the morning, where I exercise [1] and meditate. It's been three months. It has changed my life: I get a boost of highest-quality time every morning. I sleep better, I move better, I am in mostly great mood all day because of such a start. I had troubles keeping a habit of exercise and meditation and the switch to this morning routine solved it greatly.
The first 28 days of forming the habit were a bit of a struggle, but together with my wife, we supported each other and eventually went through the whole month. After that I cannot imagine my morning without at least an hour in the park.
The time of waking up varies and depends on the morning temperature and amount of light. In summer we woke at 5-6am (it was warm and light), now it's ~7am (it's getting colder and darker outside).
The book The Willpower instinct [2] influenced me a lot regarding willpower in the morning.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJDz7qHBGQg
[2] https://www.amazon.com/Willpower-Instinct-Self-Control-Works...

⬐ CameronBarre
Yeah it gets way harder to wake up 'early' as the sun starts coming out later. Especially in the PNW when it's straight gray outside in the morning during those seasons.
How do you manage 3 hours at the park?

⬐ jugjug
What do you mean by "manage"?

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Jun 30, 2016 · e40 on Extreme Methods for Breaking Bad Habits

I just started reading this and I think it's pretty good:
https://www.amazon.com/Willpower-Instinct-Self-Control-Works...

⬐ peteretep
This is great, too, and I think there's a PDF floating around:
https://www.amazon.com/Self-Discipline-10-days-Thinking-Doin...

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Aug 25, 2015 · dchest on Ask HN: Staying focused on your project

I'm reading The Willpower Instinct (http://www.amazon.com/The-Willpower-Instinct-Self-Control-Ma...).

⬐ tmaly
what do you like most about the book so far?

Hacker News Comments on The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It

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Hacker News Comments on
The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It