Over the last few years, a lot has happened that was out of our control. The pandemic threw us into new situations - and even now, we are adjusted to a new normal, it’s understandable if some areas of your life or work still feel out of control.
To help you get back in the driving seat of your life, here are five steps that you can take to win back control, one day at a time.
Find “me” time - and stick to it
We all have self-care plans that we do on and off, but have those ‘off’ times started happening more and more frequently? It might feel weird to force yourself to spend some time doing just what you want, but making time for self-care sometimes requires you to do just that.
Avoid the temptation to skip some downtime in order to crack on on your to-do list, and make sure you stick to the time you carve out for self-care.
Be your own best friend
Would you ever push your best friend to do something they don’t want to do? To not make them feel special when you’re feeling a little tired? Of course not! So why should it be different for you?
One way to help you feel more control is to truly make friends with yourself. Over time, you’ll begin to respect yourself and your needs more fully, making it easier to allow yourself to grow and thrive in the ways you need to.
Say “no” as often as you like
It’s one little word but it can make all the difference. You might think you should leap at every opportunity… but sometimes, those opportunities will be more draining than rewarding.
If your heart doesn’t love the idea of something, remember you are well within your rights to say no. After a while, you’ll see how saying no to things that don’t spark joy makes all those ‘yes’ moments shine all the brighter.
Embrace challenges
When we hit difficult times, it can be easier to fall back into thinking “why is this happening to me?” or “what did I do wrong?” However, you are an active participant, not a victim, so embrace those challenges as moments of growth.
Next time you hit a wall, think about what you stand to learn from it, rather than how it’s slowed you down. Know that you can - and will - overcome this, and that true strength and control comes from facing those challenges head-on!
Build a picture of the future
Planning ahead is second nature to many of us - but how do you invest in that planning on a daily basis? The way you go about this step will vary from person to person, but at its core, the goal remains the same.
You need to find small ways of adding to your future vision, regularly. For some, that will be saving delicious food recipes for when you next go grocery shopping. For others, it will be bookmarking some interior design inspiration on Instagram for a future project.
The more of these fun, mini goals we have to work towards, the more in control of our lives we are. Not all planning needs to be for five or ten years down the line. Sometimes, we can just take it a few weeks at a time!
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