The Neuroscience of Change & The Power of Choice

Kelly McGonigal, PhD Stanford University

kellymcgonigal.com/wakeup

Automatic & Impulsive Self!

Strategic & Responsive Self!

Pain-escape Desire-consume Threat-defend Fatigue-default

Choice

“I will” power

“I won’t” power

Goals!Values!

“I want” power

Self-awareness

Self-control

What are you feeling?

What are you thinking/doing?

ACC

Train the Process of Choice

1. I want power 2. I won’t power 3. I will power 4. I sense power 5. I notice power

I Want Power: Self-Lovingkindness Practice

•  The Three Questions

•  The Three Aspirations

I Want Power: Self-Lovingkindness

•  The Three Questions: – What do I want to create in my life?

– What do I want to offer the world?

– What am I ready to make peace with?

•  The Three Aspirations: – May I be happy.

– May I be healthy.

– May I know peace.

I Sense, I Notice, I Won’t Power: Breath Focus Practice

(Hasenkamp, Wilson-Mendenhall, Duncan, & Barsalou 2012)

(Hasenkamp et al. 2012)

Goals!Values!

Increased brain volume & connectedness of frontal regions

(Luders et al. 2009, 2011, 2012)

Breath Focus

1.  Establish comfortable, alert posture, eyes open or closed.

2.  Acknowledge intention of practice: to train attention by focusing on breath and noticing mind-wandering.

3.  Bring focus to the breath (counting breath cycles, or focusing on sensations).

4.  When mind wanders, notice and bring attention back to the breath.

5.  Acknowledge success of practice no matter how much your mind wandered!

•  47 smokers who want to quit abstained for 12 hrs.

•  Learned mindful attention.

•  Viewed smoking-related images in fMRI; some passively, some mindfully.

•  Reported cravings and distress.

Mindful attention when you need won’t power

(Westbrook et al. 2011)

1.  Mindfulness reduced cravings and distress.

2.  Reduced activity in craving-related areas of the brain.

3. Disrupted functional connectivity of the brain’s "craving network.”

“I cannot walk.”

(McMullen et al. 2008)

Accepting Inner Resistance

•  80 participants randomized to acceptance, distraction, or control.

•  Given choice to continue receiving electric shocks or stop study.

•  Acceptance: “I cannot walk” + “Notice shock-related thoughts and feelings, but continue with the task.” [Distraction: Think of something more pleasant.]

•  Acceptance group allowed more shocks (8.38) than distraction (4.69) or control (2.50); reported less pain (42.6) than distraction (51.6).

(Najmi, Riemann, & Wegner 2009)

I Sense, I Notice, I Will Power: Recognizing Resistance

•  I don’t have time. •  I’ll feel like it tomorrow. •  It will be too (exhausting, difficult, boring,

uncomfortable, painful, embarrassing,….). •  I can’t. •  I don’t know how. •  I’ll die if I have to. •  ….Yours????

I Sense, I Notice, I Will Power: Making a Commitment

•  What action do you want to take?

•  What is a concrete, right-sized step consistent with your goal?

•  What thought/belief/feeling form does you resistance take?

•  Can you imagine both being present – the resistance, and the action?

A Self-Compassionate POV:

1.  Mindfulness of challenge/suffering. (What is the truth of your experience?)

2.  Common humanity. (How does this experience connect you to others?)

3.  Self-mentoring. (What would you say to someone you care about and believe in?)

A Self-Compassion Practice

kellymcgonigal.com/wakeup