Comment · Mon, October 7, 2013 · Ceretropic
Let's talk about willpower/motivation - anything and everything relating to it.
Original post in this thread
[deleted] · 62 points
Willpower has to be one of the most often overlooked aspects of cognitive enhancement / productivity. As great as motivation in a pill sounds, sometimes you just have to do things (that's the scientific wording I swear).
So, brain-wise, this would be an "executive function", being dictated mainly by the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Do we know of ways to improve its function? I've heard meditation, but know nothing on the details.
I suppose forcing yourself to do things you absolutely don't want to (that you should do, of course, I don't mean like acting on your darkest thoughts!) would, over time, strengthen connections in the PFC. Would that lead to - chronically - improved ability to "self-start", decreased procrastination? Or is there a staunch limit to willpower?
The most popular routes for addressing lack of motivation / willpower are things like caffeine, Modafinil, methylphenidate, and the ever-popular amphetamines. Buut, those really aren't viable long-term solutions. What kinds of things could one do that would be viable in the long run?
I would guess that exercise couldn't hurt, but it's just as much a mental stress as it is physical - with heavy courseloads (high st…
What they were answering
Direct reply to the original post — see the thread post above.
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · Ceretropic
Endorphins are the key to motivation. Physical activity is the best way to get your body naturally releasing them, and is known by most people to be the best way to motivate yourself.
What if you are not currently capable of getting enough exercise, and/or want to simply take a supplement to do it? Endorphins bind to various opioid receptors in the brain. Using exogenous opioid agonists can help for short term boosts. Many strains of kratom are awesome for this. I've been using them a lot, since my shoulder surgery put me out of mountain biking condition for a while. However, nothing works as well as naturally released endogenous endorphins.