Hi again and welcome back to the savvy psychologist. I'm Dr. Ellen Hendrickson and every

Friday I'll help you meet life's challenges with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

Self-control goes by many aliases, willpower, discipline, restraint, it's even that Frank Ocean song.

But no matter the name, it has a huge influence over our health and our success.

Self-control helps determine whether we choose a salad or a soda,

work out or stand the couch,

keep or lose our temper,

or moderate alcohol, or get trashed on a Tuesday.

And lack of self-control is even a symptom of various disorders, like depression,

OCD, ADHD, and impulse-controlled disorders like hair pulling or compulsive shoplifting.

Now where does this happen in your brain?

Well, mimic the face palm you give yourself when you see your credit card bill,

the number on the scale, or the length of your

to-do list after a few weeks of too little self-control.

Not uncoincidentally, the part of the brain responsible for your downfall, the prefrontal cortex, lies directly behind

the forehead you just smacked.

Now the prefrontal cortex allows us to plan, pay attention, regulate our emotions and our bodies, and generally

avoid things we'll regret. In other words, it allows us to resist and redirect our

immediate impulses.

And that is what self-control is.

It all boils down to one thing,

saying no to your own impulses.

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