Before we dig into microsucks and how to use them, it’s worth just understanding what willpower is from a physiological and psychological point of view.

“Willpower is the ability to do things that require a certain amount of neural energy to get them done,” according to neuroscientist and bestselling author Friederike Fabritius.

Willpower is the missing link between not wanting to do a task and getting it done. It overrides the immediate desire so that we can move closer to the final outcome. It’s also, as positive psychologist Anna Shears explains, “the ability to resist something we do want to do”. If you know that your vaping habit is doing more harm than good but just can’t seem to unlatch from your Lost Mary? That’s a willpower problem. Keep meaning to go for a jog after work but never seem to quite make it out of the door? It’s the same missing link.

‘Microsucks’ could be an easy way to delay ageing and boost motivation – here’s why you need more of them in your life