The Mood Booster Podcast

33. How to Regain Control of Your Life: Reflecting on Your Locus of Control

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The Home of Wellbeing and Joy.

Welcome to Episode 33: How to Regain Control of Your Life: Reflecting onYour Locus of Control, where Dr Marcus and Charlie explore how our sense of control shapes our wellbeing, motivation, and mental health, and why learning to balance it is key to living with calm and agency.

From Rotter’s (1966) Locus of Control Theory to Seligman’s work on Learned Helplessness, this episode dives into the psychology of perceived control, asking: how much power do we really have, and what happens when we try to control too much or too little?

We explore:

  • The difference between internal and external locus of control
  • Why control influences stress, health, and happiness
  • When internal control can tip into burnout

    • Practical Advice for Listeners:

    • Run a “Control Audit”: focus energy on what’s truly within reach
    • Reframe language: swap “I can’t” for “I haven’t yet found a way”
    • Embrace “Flexible Control”: learn when surrender is strength
    • Journal small daily wins to rebuild internal agency
    • Regulate emotions before reacting 
    • Remember: control isn’t binary, it’s a spectrum

      • If you’ve been feeling stuck, anxious, or overwhelmed, this episode helps you recalibrate what’s yours to own and what’s okay to release.

      📍 Pillars explored: Introspection & Inspiration, Wellbeing & Joy, Presence & Gratitude

      📚 References cited in this episode:

      • Drago, A., Rheinheimer, D. C., & Detweiler, T. N. (2016). Effects of locus of control, academic Self-Efficacy, and tutoring on academic performance. Journal of College Student Retention Research Theory & Practice, 19(4), 433–451. https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025116645602
      • Gale, C. R., Batty, G. D., & Deary, I. J. (2008). Locus of control at age 10 years and health outcomes and behaviors at age 30 years: the 1970 British Cohort Study. Psychosomatic Medicine, 70(4), 397–403. https://doi.org/10.1097/psy.0b013e31816a719e
      • Hovenkamp-Hermelink, J. H., Jeronimus, B. F., Van Der Veen, D. C., Spinhoven, P., Penninx, B. W., Schoevers, R. A., & Riese, H. (2019). Differential associations of locus of control with anxiety, depression and life-events: A five-wave, nine-year study to test stability and change. Journal of Affective Disorders, 253, 26–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.04.005
      • Irion, J. C., & Blanchard-Fields, F. (1987). A Cross-Sectional Comparison of Adaptive Coping in Adulthood. Journal of Gerontology, 42(5), 502–504. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronj/42.5.502
      • Maier, S. F., & Seligman, M. E. (1976). Learned helplessness: Theory and evidence. Journal of Experimental Psychology General, 105(1), 3–46. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.105.1.3
      • Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological monographs: General and applied, 80(1), 1.

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        The Mood Booster PodcastBy Charlie and Marcus