We are living in a time of change and uncertainty. With change and uncertainty comes a number of challenges to our daily lives. Physical, practical, financial, emotional and psychological challenges. Sometimes you may feel completely out of control of your own life
You Can’t Escape Change
Change is inevitable, even when life is ‘normal’. We change jobs, move house, begin and end relationships, start families, set goals for fitness and weight loss, etc. We all deal with that change in different ways.
For some people, change is the spice of life that keeps life interesting and exciting. It keeps people motivated and enjoying the adventure. These people are probably taking this time of lock down in their stride.
For others, however, change can trigger all sorts of negative thoughts and emotions, including stress, anxiety and depression.
The Importance of Control
It’s important at all times – especially now – to remember that even when we feel life is out of control, we can control our thoughts, and it’s incredibly important that we do this. Our thoughts impact on our emotions, our emotions impact on our behaviours and our behaviours impact on our relationships (with ourselves, other people, exercise, food, money, etc.), as well as our overall experience of any situation.
So, stop, take a breath and evaluate your thoughts. Are they negative, harmful and out of control? Triggering you into a spiral of harmful emotions and feelings? Or are they kind, supportive and positive, helping you to deal with and make the most out of the current situation?
Positive Control
But how do we keep our thoughts positive? Well, the words we use to create, construct and convey our thoughts are incredibly powerful. So take a moment to take stock of the words you are using, and see if you can change any negative words into positive and powerful words.
For example, instead of thinking, ‘Argh, this is scary and a nightmare situation’, you could think
‘Okay, this situation is serious, but all I need to do is look after myself and my family, and follow the guidelines until all this blows over’.
Rather than thinking ‘Urgh, I’m trapped in this house and I’m stuck with nothing to do, and I’m out of control’, you could be thinking, ‘Right, this is an opportunity to focus on my life, to connect with myself and the family I am living with, and/or my friends and family remotely using technology’.
Instead of ‘This is really boring, and I’ve got nothing to do’, you could be thinking, ‘Right, I’ve got several weeks to achieve something. What goal am I going to set and how am I going to go about achieving it?’
So, take stock. Are you using positive words to create your thoughts, and are you controlling those thoughts to ensure that you are able to make the best of this situation?
About Sara Wright
Sara Wright is a confidence coach based in Leicester. She specialises in helping improve people’s mental health self-esteem. She has over 20 years’ experience in the sector, as well as a BSc and MSc to back up her practical knowledge. To find out more, check out her website and Facebook page.