Take Control of The Things You Can Control and Let Go of What You Can’t

“When everything in your world seems out of control, remember that you can control your well being — meditate, breathe deep, go for a walk, read a book, eat well, call a friend. Nurturing your well being will give you the peace you need to weather life’s storms.”

Control, it’s the one thing that we sometimes fool ourselves into believing that we have complete power over. The truth is, there are somethings we do have the ability to control, and then there are situations where no matter how hard we try, we have no control over. Learning the difference between what we have control over and what we do not, is the key to creating peace and the foundation to help you build strength to weather life’s storms.

Although we can’t control the economy, the formation of natural disasters or pandemics, or how people, in general, will treat us, we do have the ability to control how we prepare and react to the world around us. In these uncertain times, practicing self-care and nurturing your well being will help you to focus your energies on what is important, what you can control, and what you need to learn to release.

Releasing things that are beyond our grasps and control, will help to lessen our daily worries and the anxieties we have when the future outcome is uncertain. I’m not saying that self-care and letting go of what you can’t control will forever stop unfortunate things in life from happening, but learning to recognize that we have the power to control our response to anything that life throws in our path will change how it ultimately affects our mental well being.

When life presents situations that seem too hard to handle and create unnecessary worries, focus on controlling your thoughts, your health, and spirit by:

• Meditating and through prayer
• Reading a book
• Practice deep breathing
• Adopting a healthy lifestyle — eat well, exercise, stop smoking
• Get out in nature — go for a walk, do some gardening, or simply take in the sunrise or sunset
• Stay socially connected — text or call a friend, become a volunteer, join a club
• Find a hobby or activity that interests you
• Declutter your surroundings

Remember, trying to control things that are out of your control will only create more unhappiness, worries, and frustrations. Your happiness and peace will come from the things that you can only control: yourself, your thoughts, and your actions.

What activities do you do to help nurture your well being? Leave a comment and be sure to hit the “clap” button if you are on the road to taking control of what you can and leaving the rest behind.