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As I sit down to write this blog post, I’m activating areas of my brain necessary for providing me with the willpower I need to stop procrastinating -- no more checking out my Twitter feed -- and move into action. The left side of my brain’s prefrontal cortex is revving up the gas and getting my engine in motion, while the right side is holding me back from re-tweeting.

A smaller brain region in the middle -- called the ventral medial prefrontal cortex -- has weighed my writing deadline against my temptation to do other things by sending a signal that I’d better get moving or I’m going to be in a panic later.

All of this is an over-simplified explanation of what’s needed to exert self control. But I’d like to know what I can do to get more of it. How can I resist the temptation to go through all my friends’ Facebook vacation photos when I’m supposed to be reading the latest medical study? How can I learn to resist raiding the pantry in the middle of homework hour before dinner?

Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal, who’s written a new book coming out in December called The Willpower Instinct, told me there are a number of things I can do to increase my self-control like not getting too hungry, tired, or stressed -- pretty obvious.

But in her book, she also includes a chapter on how to delay instant gratification when we’re not completely drained from exerting self-control in other areas of our lives. In other words, how do I resist those yummy-smelling cookies at the mall when I’m still full from lunch?

McGonigal offers the following suggestions for delaying the pleasure of now for the rewards of a healthier future.

1. Try the 10-minute rule. The next time you feel the urge to do something sinful -- smoke a cigarette, have that third glass of wine, or dig into a pint of Ben and Jerry’s -- give yourself a 10-minute wait before proceeding. If the ten minutes are up and you still want it, go for it. But before the 10 minutes expire, remind yourself about the long-term rewards for resisting temptation like protection from lung cancer, a hangover the next morning, or a bulging waistline.

The rule also works for procrastination if you flip it. Launch into 10 minutes of the activity and give yourself permission to stop after that; hopefully, you’ll lose track of time while working.

2. Imagine your future self. Research suggests that those who imagine the selves they’d like to become exert more willpower. Visualize how you will look when you reach your goal weight, how much easier breathing will be once you stop smoking, or how powerful you’ll feel at the end of the marathon finish line. Or picture that house you’re going to buy when you stop splurging on new clothes and the latest iPhone and put some money away in the bank,

3. Send an email to yourself in the future. Sounds sort of creepy but it can actually help you fulfill your long term goals. A website called futureme.org lets you write the email and schedule the day when you want it to be sent. I sent myself one dated next week to tell myself how proud I am of the willpower cover story that I’m writing for the G section of the Globe. Perhaps I’ll date one for ten years in the future congratulating myself on the publication of my first novel.