Humans have the ability to worry about something that hasn’t happened yet—and trigger a real stress response—just by thinking about something!
We also have the ability to ruminate over past situations—things that are over and done with—and trigger a real stress response—just by thinking about something that has already happened.
The more we worry and ruminate, the more we feel overwhelmed. And the more overwhelmed we feel, the more stressed we get. It’s a vicious cycle.
We can choose to put our energy into the things we CAN control.
By switching our focus to what we can control, we can put our energy into problem solving rather than worrying about the future or ruminating about past events.
Activity: create a list or diagram
- What I Can Control
- What I Can’t Control
Examples:
| Things I can control | Things I can’t control |
| Who I hang out with What I wear What I read Comments I make on social media posts |
What other people do What others think about me The future |
For the artists out there, you can extend this activity and make colorful posters.
The way we think affects how we feel. When we allow ourselves to focus on the things we can control, we feel happier and are better able to handle stress that comes our way.