Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of Self-ControlWhy It Is ImportantExamplesDelaying GratificationEgo DepletionHealth BenefitsMotivation and MonitoringHow to Improve Self-ControlFrequently Asked Questions

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types of Self-Control

Why It Is Important

Examples

Delaying Gratification

Ego Depletion

Health Benefits

Motivation and Monitoring

How to Improve Self-Control

Frequently Asked Questions

Close

Self-control is the ability toregulateand alter your responses to avoid undesirable behaviors, increase desirable ones, and achieve long-term goals. Research has shown that possessing self-control can be important for health and well-being.

Psychologists typically define self-control as:

Self-control is one aspect of executive function, a set of abilities that helps people to plan, monitor, and achieve their goals. People with attention-deficit attention disorder (ADHD) often have characteristics linked to problems with executive function.

This article discusses how self-control is defined, why it is important, and some of the health benefits of having self-control. It also covers how to improve yourself and your ability to manage your behavior and resist temptation.

The Nature vs. Nurture Debate

There are three primary types of self-control:

A self-controlled person exhibits a great deal of willpower and personal control. They don’t act impulsively and can regulate their emotions and actions effectively.

Importance of Self-Control

Researchers have found that people who have better self-control tend to be healthier and happier, both in the short term and in the long term.

In one influential experiment, students who exhibited greater self-discipline had better grades, higher test scores, and were more likely to be admitted to a competitive academic program. The study also found that when it came to academic success, self-control was a more important factor thanIQ scores.

The benefits of self-control are not limited to academic performance. One long-term health study found that high levels of self-control during childhood predicted greater cardiovascular, respiratory, and dental health in adulthood, as well as improved financial status.

How Self-Determination Theory Explains Motivation

Examples of Self-Control

Setting goals to exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, be more productive, give up bad habits, and save money are just a few actions requiring self-control. More examples of self-control include:

Delaying gratification involves putting off short-term desires in favor of long-term rewards. Researchers have found that the ability to delay gratification is important not only for attaining goals but also for well-being and overall success in life.

The Marshmallow Test

The psychologist Walter Mischel conducted a series of well-known experiments during the 1960s and 1970s that investigated the importance of delayed gratification.In these experiments, children were offered a choice: They could choose to eat one treat right away (usually a cookie or a marshmallow), or they could wait a brief period of time in order to get two treats.

At this point, the researcher would leave the child alone in a room with a single treat. Not surprisingly, many of the kids chose to eat the single treat the moment the experimenters left the room. However, some of the kids were able to wait for the second treat.

Researchers found that children who were able to delay gratification in order to receive a greater reward were also more likely to have better academic performance than the kids who gave in to temptation immediately.

However, it has since been shown (through present-day studiesthat included a much wider array of test subjects than the very limited pool in the initial experiment) that a child’s ability to delay gratification in this way is directly connected to their socioeconomic circumstances; that is, that if a child is experiencing poverty, neglect, or hunger at home, they are more likely to eat the marshmallow, as they’ve learned from experience that more food may not be coming.

The “Hot-and-Cool” System

Based on his research, Mischel proposed what he referred to as a “hot-and-cool” system to explain the ability to delay gratification. The hot system refers to the part of our willpower that is emotional and impulsive and urges us to act upon our desires. When this system takes over, we may give in to our momentary desires and act rashly without considering the potential long-term effects.

The cool system is the part of our willpower that is rational and thoughtful and enables us to consider the consequences of our actions in order to resist our impulses. The cool system helps us look for ways to distract us from our urges and find more appropriate ways to deal with our desires.

RecapThe ability to delay gratification is linked to a number of benefits, including better goal attainment and positive life outcomes. Finding ways to distract yourself from temptation can help you strengthen your ability to delay gratification.

Recap

The ability to delay gratification is linked to a number of benefits, including better goal attainment and positive life outcomes. Finding ways to distract yourself from temptation can help you strengthen your ability to delay gratification.

How the Secondary Process Helps Delay Desires

Research has found that self-control is a limited resource. In the long term, exercising self-control tends to strengthen it. Practicing self-control allows you to improve it over time. However, self-control in the short term is limited.

Focusing all of your self-control on one goal makes it more difficult to exercise your self-control on subsequent tasks throughout your day.

Psychologists refer to this tendency asego depletion. This happens when people use up their reservoir of willpower on one task, making them unable to muster any self-control to complete the next task.

Health Benefits of Self-Control

Researchers have found that self-control can have a number of potential influences on health and well-being. One longitudinal study found that adults who had greater self-control in childhood were less likely to have:

While it is clear that self-control is critical for maintaining healthy behaviors, some experts believe that overemphasizing the importance of willpower can be damaging.

What Causes Learned Helplessness?

According to psychologist and researcher Roy Baumeister, lack of willpower is not the only factor that affects goal attainment. If you are working toward a goal, three critical components must be present:

RecapWillpower alone doesn’t determine whether or not you will reach a goal. A range of other factors, including your motivation and ability to monitor your progress, also play a critical role.

Willpower alone doesn’t determine whether or not you will reach a goal. A range of other factors, including your motivation and ability to monitor your progress, also play a critical role.

Get Advice From The Verywell Mind Podcast

While research suggests self-control has its limitations, psychologists have also found that it can be strengthened with certain strategies.

Avoid Temptation

This is an effective way of making the most of your available self-control. Avoiding temptation ensures that you do not “use up” your available self-control before it is really needed.

Whether it’s the desire to eat, drink, spend, or indulge in some other undesired behavior, one way to avoid temptation is to find a healthy distraction.

Go for a walk, call a friend, throw in a load of laundry, or do whatever it takes to get your mind off whatever is tempting you at the moment.

Plan Ahead

Consider possible situations that might break your resolve. If you are faced with temptation, what actions will you take to avoid giving in? Research has found that planning ahead can improve willpower even in situations where people have experienced the effects of ego depletion.

For example, if you are trying to reduce your sugar intake and you have a hard time controlling late afternoon hunger pangs, eat a well-balanced lunch packed with plenty of fiber, protein, and whole grains that will keep you full longer.

Practice Using Self-Control

While your control might become depleted in the short term, regularly engaging in behaviors that require you to exert self-control will improve your willpower over time.Think of self-control as a muscle. While hard work may exhaust the muscle in the short term, the muscle will grow stronger over time as you continue to work it.

The classic games “red light, green light” or “freeze dance” can help children practice self-control from an early age.

Focus on One Goal at a Time

Setting a lot of goals at once (such as making a list of severalNew Year’s resolutions) is usually an ineffective approach. Depleting your willpower in one area can reduce self-control in other areas. It is best to choose one specific goal and focus your energy on it.

Once you turn the behaviors needed to reach a goal into habits, you will not need to devote as much effort toward maintaining them. You can then use your resources to work on other goals.

Meditate

Meditationis a great way to strengthen your self-control muscle. If you’re new to meditation,mindfulness meditationis a great place to start learning how to be moreself-awareso you can better resist temptations. This technique can also help you learn to slow your thoughts, which can help you control the gut impulses that can get in the way of your self-control.

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Remind Yourself of the Consequences

Just like self-control can help you achieve your goals and improve your physical and mental health, a lack of self-control can have adverse effects on yourself-esteem, education, career, finances, relationships, and overall health and well-being. Reminding yourself of these consequences can help you stay motivated as you work to increase your self-control.

RecapYou can improve your own self-control with effort and practice. Avoiding temptations, making a plan, focusing on specific goals, and remembering the consequences of your actions can help you regulate your behavior more effectively.

You can improve your own self-control with effort and practice. Avoiding temptations, making a plan, focusing on specific goals, and remembering the consequences of your actions can help you regulate your behavior more effectively.

Summary

Self-control refers to your ability to manage your behavior in order to achieve goals, improve positive outcomes, and avoid negative consequences. Self-control is an important skill that allows us to regulate behavior, and it is vital for attaining goals While self-control is a limited resource, there are things that you can do to improve and strengthen your willpower over time.

A Word From Verywell

Having good self-control can mean a number of benefits, including better academic success, better health, and greater success in life. If you are struggling with self-control, there are steps you can take to get better at managing your impulses, delaying gratification, and regulating your actions in order to achieve your goals.

There are many factors that can influence your self-control. Some mental health conditions can play a role in making self-control more difficult, including ADHD, substance use, sensory processing issues, social skills problems, and impulse control disorders.

It is common for young children to lack self-control because it is an ability that develops as children learn and grow. Different aspects of self-control also begin to emerge at different ages. Research suggests that emotional and behavioral control begins to develop between the ages of three and four years.

The Psychology Behind Motivation

14 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Moffitt TE, Arseneault L, Belsky D, et al.A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2011;108(7):2693-8. doi:10.1073/pnas.1010076108Duckworth A, Grant H, Loew B, Oettingen G, Gollwitzer P.Self‐regulation strategies improve self‐discipline in adolescents: Benefits of mental contrasting and implementation intentions.Educ Psychol (Lond). 2011;31(1):17-26. doi:10.1080/01443410.2010.506003Willems YE, Boesen N, Li J, Finkenauer C, Bartels M.The heritability of self-control: a meta-analysis.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2019;100:324-334. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.012American Psychological Association.Stress in America: Our health at risk.Hofmann W, Luhmann M, Fisher RR, Vohs KD, Vaumeister RF.Yes, but are they happy? Effects of trait self-control on affective well-being and life satisfaction.J Person. 2014;82(4):265-277. doi:10.1111/jopy.12050Duckworth AL, Seligman MEP.Self-discipline outdoes IQ in predicting academic performance of adolescents.Psychol Sci. 2005;16(12):939-44. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01641.xMischel W.The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control. Little, Brown and Co.Watts TW, Duncan GJ, Quan H.Revisiting the Marshmallow Test: A Conceptual Replication Investigating Links Between Early Delay of Gratification and Later Outcomes.Psychol Sci. 2018 Jul;29(7):1159-1177. doi: 10.1177/0956797618761661. Epub 2018 May 25. PMID: 29799765; PMCID: PMC6050075.Metcalfe J, Mischel W.A hot/cool-system analysis of delay of gratification: dynamics of willpower.Psychol Review.1999;106(1):3–19. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.106.1.3Hagger MS, Wood C, Stiff C, Chatzisarantis NL.Ego depletion and the strength model of self-control: a meta-analysis.Psychol Bull. 2010;136(4):495-525. doi:10.1037/a0019486Zhang Y, Feng B, Geng W, et al.“Overconfidence” versus “helplessness”: a qualitative study on abstinence self-efficacy of drug users in a male compulsory drug detention center in China.Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy.2016;11:29. doi:10.1186/s13011-016-0073-2American Psychological Association.What you need to know about willpower: The psychological science of self-control.Friese M, Messner C, Schaffner Y.Mindfulness meditation counteracts self-control depletion.Conscious Cogn.2012;21(2):1016-22. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2012.01.008Tao T, Wang L, Fan C, Gao W.Development of self-control in children aged 3 to 9 years: Perspective from a dual-systems model.Sci Rep. 2015;4(1):7272. doi:10.1038/srep07272Additional ReadingBaumeister R, Tierney J.Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength. Penguin Press.

14 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Moffitt TE, Arseneault L, Belsky D, et al.A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2011;108(7):2693-8. doi:10.1073/pnas.1010076108Duckworth A, Grant H, Loew B, Oettingen G, Gollwitzer P.Self‐regulation strategies improve self‐discipline in adolescents: Benefits of mental contrasting and implementation intentions.Educ Psychol (Lond). 2011;31(1):17-26. doi:10.1080/01443410.2010.506003Willems YE, Boesen N, Li J, Finkenauer C, Bartels M.The heritability of self-control: a meta-analysis.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2019;100:324-334. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.012American Psychological Association.Stress in America: Our health at risk.Hofmann W, Luhmann M, Fisher RR, Vohs KD, Vaumeister RF.Yes, but are they happy? Effects of trait self-control on affective well-being and life satisfaction.J Person. 2014;82(4):265-277. doi:10.1111/jopy.12050Duckworth AL, Seligman MEP.Self-discipline outdoes IQ in predicting academic performance of adolescents.Psychol Sci. 2005;16(12):939-44. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01641.xMischel W.The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control. Little, Brown and Co.Watts TW, Duncan GJ, Quan H.Revisiting the Marshmallow Test: A Conceptual Replication Investigating Links Between Early Delay of Gratification and Later Outcomes.Psychol Sci. 2018 Jul;29(7):1159-1177. doi: 10.1177/0956797618761661. Epub 2018 May 25. PMID: 29799765; PMCID: PMC6050075.Metcalfe J, Mischel W.A hot/cool-system analysis of delay of gratification: dynamics of willpower.Psychol Review.1999;106(1):3–19. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.106.1.3Hagger MS, Wood C, Stiff C, Chatzisarantis NL.Ego depletion and the strength model of self-control: a meta-analysis.Psychol Bull. 2010;136(4):495-525. doi:10.1037/a0019486Zhang Y, Feng B, Geng W, et al.“Overconfidence” versus “helplessness”: a qualitative study on abstinence self-efficacy of drug users in a male compulsory drug detention center in China.Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy.2016;11:29. doi:10.1186/s13011-016-0073-2American Psychological Association.What you need to know about willpower: The psychological science of self-control.Friese M, Messner C, Schaffner Y.Mindfulness meditation counteracts self-control depletion.Conscious Cogn.2012;21(2):1016-22. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2012.01.008Tao T, Wang L, Fan C, Gao W.Development of self-control in children aged 3 to 9 years: Perspective from a dual-systems model.Sci Rep. 2015;4(1):7272. doi:10.1038/srep07272Additional ReadingBaumeister R, Tierney J.Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength. Penguin Press.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Moffitt TE, Arseneault L, Belsky D, et al.A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2011;108(7):2693-8. doi:10.1073/pnas.1010076108Duckworth A, Grant H, Loew B, Oettingen G, Gollwitzer P.Self‐regulation strategies improve self‐discipline in adolescents: Benefits of mental contrasting and implementation intentions.Educ Psychol (Lond). 2011;31(1):17-26. doi:10.1080/01443410.2010.506003Willems YE, Boesen N, Li J, Finkenauer C, Bartels M.The heritability of self-control: a meta-analysis.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2019;100:324-334. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.012American Psychological Association.Stress in America: Our health at risk.Hofmann W, Luhmann M, Fisher RR, Vohs KD, Vaumeister RF.Yes, but are they happy? Effects of trait self-control on affective well-being and life satisfaction.J Person. 2014;82(4):265-277. doi:10.1111/jopy.12050Duckworth AL, Seligman MEP.Self-discipline outdoes IQ in predicting academic performance of adolescents.Psychol Sci. 2005;16(12):939-44. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01641.xMischel W.The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control. Little, Brown and Co.Watts TW, Duncan GJ, Quan H.Revisiting the Marshmallow Test: A Conceptual Replication Investigating Links Between Early Delay of Gratification and Later Outcomes.Psychol Sci. 2018 Jul;29(7):1159-1177. doi: 10.1177/0956797618761661. Epub 2018 May 25. PMID: 29799765; PMCID: PMC6050075.Metcalfe J, Mischel W.A hot/cool-system analysis of delay of gratification: dynamics of willpower.Psychol Review.1999;106(1):3–19. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.106.1.3Hagger MS, Wood C, Stiff C, Chatzisarantis NL.Ego depletion and the strength model of self-control: a meta-analysis.Psychol Bull. 2010;136(4):495-525. doi:10.1037/a0019486Zhang Y, Feng B, Geng W, et al.“Overconfidence” versus “helplessness”: a qualitative study on abstinence self-efficacy of drug users in a male compulsory drug detention center in China.Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy.2016;11:29. doi:10.1186/s13011-016-0073-2American Psychological Association.What you need to know about willpower: The psychological science of self-control.Friese M, Messner C, Schaffner Y.Mindfulness meditation counteracts self-control depletion.Conscious Cogn.2012;21(2):1016-22. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2012.01.008Tao T, Wang L, Fan C, Gao W.Development of self-control in children aged 3 to 9 years: Perspective from a dual-systems model.Sci Rep. 2015;4(1):7272. doi:10.1038/srep07272

Moffitt TE, Arseneault L, Belsky D, et al.A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2011;108(7):2693-8. doi:10.1073/pnas.1010076108

Duckworth A, Grant H, Loew B, Oettingen G, Gollwitzer P.Self‐regulation strategies improve self‐discipline in adolescents: Benefits of mental contrasting and implementation intentions.Educ Psychol (Lond). 2011;31(1):17-26. doi:10.1080/01443410.2010.506003

Willems YE, Boesen N, Li J, Finkenauer C, Bartels M.The heritability of self-control: a meta-analysis.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2019;100:324-334. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.012

American Psychological Association.Stress in America: Our health at risk.

Hofmann W, Luhmann M, Fisher RR, Vohs KD, Vaumeister RF.Yes, but are they happy? Effects of trait self-control on affective well-being and life satisfaction.J Person. 2014;82(4):265-277. doi:10.1111/jopy.12050

Duckworth AL, Seligman MEP.Self-discipline outdoes IQ in predicting academic performance of adolescents.Psychol Sci. 2005;16(12):939-44. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01641.x

Mischel W.The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control. Little, Brown and Co.

Watts TW, Duncan GJ, Quan H.Revisiting the Marshmallow Test: A Conceptual Replication Investigating Links Between Early Delay of Gratification and Later Outcomes.Psychol Sci. 2018 Jul;29(7):1159-1177. doi: 10.1177/0956797618761661. Epub 2018 May 25. PMID: 29799765; PMCID: PMC6050075.

Metcalfe J, Mischel W.A hot/cool-system analysis of delay of gratification: dynamics of willpower.Psychol Review.1999;106(1):3–19. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.106.1.3

Hagger MS, Wood C, Stiff C, Chatzisarantis NL.Ego depletion and the strength model of self-control: a meta-analysis.Psychol Bull. 2010;136(4):495-525. doi:10.1037/a0019486

Zhang Y, Feng B, Geng W, et al.“Overconfidence” versus “helplessness”: a qualitative study on abstinence self-efficacy of drug users in a male compulsory drug detention center in China.Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy.2016;11:29. doi:10.1186/s13011-016-0073-2

American Psychological Association.What you need to know about willpower: The psychological science of self-control.

Friese M, Messner C, Schaffner Y.Mindfulness meditation counteracts self-control depletion.Conscious Cogn.2012;21(2):1016-22. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2012.01.008

Tao T, Wang L, Fan C, Gao W.Development of self-control in children aged 3 to 9 years: Perspective from a dual-systems model.Sci Rep. 2015;4(1):7272. doi:10.1038/srep07272

Baumeister R, Tierney J.Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength. Penguin Press.

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