What is in your control? Taking control of your anxiety.

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR ANXIETY

What is in your control? Trever Shirin, counselor with Mayfield Counseling Centers, unpacks this for us.

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Trever uses an example of going on a hike in our mountains. While we cannot control the weather we can focus on the things we can control to be safe. Leaving early to beat the afternoon storms that are common on our peaks, having the right gear, and practicing ‘layering’ to prepare for the changes in weather that invariably happen. This is a good example to assist us in writing down the things that we can control and the things that are not.

CHALLENGE

• Draw a circle or two columns on a paper.
• For a typical day or week, write down the things that are in your control.
• What is in your control ? Put these in the inner circle or left side of the column.
• The things out of your control? Well…you get the drift.

When you find yourself feeling in less control of a situation it is important to remember what is in our control.

Other people’s thoughts, behaviors and feelings are outside of our control.

Our decisions in a moment or situation are what we have control over.

How we act and react in a situation is in our control.

Sometimes we need to look back on a situation and process how we acted. Did our actions in that moment give us our desired outcome?

This is the situation that I am presented with, ask the question, what am I able to do?

What am I able to do?

Shift your focus from what you have little to no control of, to what you are able to do in that moment.

“How can I bring this situation back into my circle of control?” Trever

Reviewed by The Anxiety Project Team

A partnership of collaborating specialists and medical practices