Understanding the Science of Self-Control

The science of self-control is about boosting your ability to control your actions and behaviors. While many of us try to find solutions to individual problems, real improvement comes from enhancing self-control. Taking extreme measures like cold showers or cognitive enhancers doesn't actually work. Recent studies have shown that self-control is not a fixed characteristic but a depletable resource. Emotional regulation and stress are the biggest drains on self-control. Emotional regulation involves suppressing internal emotions, which weakens self-control. Similarly, stress externalizes attention, reducing focus on internal conflicts. Boosting self-control is possible by learning to alternate emotional regulation and by re-internalizing awareness, paying attention to internal conflicts.