Weekly Wellbeing: What's Within My Control?

originally posted on 13-07-2021 1:07 PM

@WheresMySquishy 

What are some things that you can control?

• When I sleep and wake up - to help control this I try to plan or leave something out for myself the night before so I have something to look forward to in the morning (e.g. pre-planning a good breakfast)
• Overthinking - I know this is not true for everyone, and that it can be really difficult. For me I got around this when I realized that overthinking before things actually happen, is just putting me through twice as much stress. I've found ways to distract myself when I can't keep my mind of things like playing games or listening to music, and I've also trained myself to block out my own negative thoughts
• Getting started - I use to be a really really bad procrastinator. I was lucky enough to have my GF teach me how to get things started in advance. It all starts with just making the smallest steps just so you get yourself in the mindset of making some progress. Any progress is good progress.

What are some things that you can't control?

• What other people think of you - Learning to love yourself and basing your self-worth on what you know and not on the opinion of others is really important. Self-love is key.
• Having bad days - Not every day is going to be good, and that's okay. Tackle things one day at a time and don't beat yourself up for having a bad day and not being the best. 

Can you think of some examples of things that are both within your control and shaped by factors that you can't help?

• How you feel - I think this is a really big one, because whilst yes there are so many factors that shape how we feel and a lot of it we cannot control - I am a firm believer that we can still find ways to help ourselves guide our feelings and keeping ourself in check. (e.g. We don't have to always enact being upset, instead, we can choose to be calm and find a better solution. Not saying you don't have the right to be upset if someone did something to you, but is always getting externally upset the best course of action?) 

originally posted on 12-07-2021 8:41 PM

What are some things that you can control?

I can control my routine, celebrating special days, getting work done, trying to be present, and my work from home environment. I like to write to do lists and tick things off as I go, and try to get started instead of trying to get things done well. I also make my work station as comfortable as I can!

What are some things that you can't control?

Case numbers, how long restrictions will last, and how people will react to my work 😋

Can you think of some examples of things that are both within your control and shaped by factors that you can't help?

My sleep schedule 😬 I can try to avoid caffeine and go to bed on time but sometimes my body just wants to stay awake a bit later.

Also my mood and energy levels. I can do what I can to make myself feel happy, but things happen and people get tired oh well

originally posted on 08-07-2021 11:51 PM

This is a great idea for a weekly wellbeing @WheresMySquishy 🙂 I love that social media can promote such wholesome stuff ❤️

What are some things that you can control?

omg I just realised my psych asked me to answer stuff about what I could and couldn't control over the break whoops I guess this is the opportunity to do my hw now 😆

I can control how I respond to things, my behaviour in general, my choices, how I treat people and animals and nature, how I treat myself

As an optional bonus, share some steps that you can take to control them.

I guess the first step would be becoming aware of stuff I do kind of on autopilot and realising I do have a choice in what I do

What are some things that you can't control?

My health, my (automatic) thoughts, my (automatic) emotions, how I feel about certain things, what I like and don't like, how I look (for the most part), that I will inevitably make mistakes and that this is okay, the weather 😆, being in lockdown, not knowing or understanding a lot of things and that this is okay, if other people are healthy and safe, when loss will happen, other people's feelings

Feel free to share some strategies to help you cope with them.

Accepting things that I can't change I guess. And realising that it causes a lot of unnecessary stress and energy trying to control things I can't

Can you think of some examples of things that are both within your control and shaped by factors that you can't help?

This question is trippy 🤣 I like to think in all or nothing terms sometimes.. Hm I guess like everything is interacting in life and some things I have more control of than others. But I have the tendency to blame myself or take take responsibility for things which I can't control but there's like a grey area of things which I can do stuff to help like with my mental and physical health but there's also other factors that're out of my control with them as well

Control is a lot more complex than I realised 😮 We should do a GR on this one day! I feel there is so much I could learn!

originally posted on 08-07-2021 8:19 PM

great thread @WheresMySquishy  my answers would be pretty similar to @Portia_RO  (oh i havent met you yet so hello!) 

I find so many people including myself stress alot about lockdowns. i have to find ways to manage this. Being a carer to someone who doesnt understand and also doesnt remember much due to dementia it gets very difficult. im interested to hear how others answer these questions to but i think Portia has basically answered this for me!

originally posted on 08-07-2021 12:47 PM

What are some things that you can control?

• My lockdown space - I can make my home as bright and comfortable as possible while I'm in lockdown by playing music that picks me up and keeping my beautiful plants alive
• My connection with my friends and family - even though I can't see my friends and family right now, I have been calling my parents and grandparents regularly and organising fun Zoom calls with my friends so that we all feel a little more connected
• How I treat my body - I can keep taking my meds, getting outside for a walk and some exercise, and cooking good food. COVID can't change that!

What are some things that you can't control?

• How long lockdown will go for - I like to deal with the uncertainty and bad news about the lockdown by taking a break from the news every few days
• Not being able to go out of the house for meals, fun activities and social events - even though a few fun events have been rescheduled due to the lockdown, I am trying to view things on a timeline. Rather than thinking of these things as being 'cancelled', I'm keeping in mind that they are on the other side of this lockdown and have simply been 'delayed'. So, every day that passes, I am getting one day closer to being able to do the things that bring me joy, like visiting my friends and exploring new restaurants in my city. 

Can you think of some examples of things that are both within your control and shaped by factors that you can't help?

• My mental health - while I can't control how the lockdown is impacting my mental health, I can do everything in my power to stay grateful and patient in the meantime. All I can do is keep being kind to myself during this period and reminding myself that it is okay to have tough days because these are some unusual circumstances we are living in!
• How I use my time - while I can't control when lockdown will end or where I am allowed to go, it is totally up to me how I use this time at home. I've decided to dedicate this time to revamping my apartment and binge-watching my favourite movies, because I don't get the chance to focus on these things during 'normal' life.