What is self-regulation?

• ability to stop yourself or motivate yourself for any particular task or trait
• ability to monitor actions
• decision making

Self-regulation often involves conscious decision making, but it can also be unconscious. Unconscious self-regulation can occur at any age, but is particularly evident in small children, before they become old enough to regulate their actions and processes consciously. Examples of these processes include eating and physical activity.

Whether or not self-regulation is unconscious, it can be influenced by many things. Surroundings, including social norms, family, and media, can all set or change the regulations to which we hold ourselves. 

Self-control can also be dangerous, when taken to an extreme. Eating disorders are examples of too much self-regulation, and indulgence of addictions is an example of too little self-regulation.