What’s within my control?
Acknowledging what is within and outside of your control is critical to making change. By completing this activity, you’re reflecting on what you truly have control over. Investing your focus and energy on what you can control is much more helpful in re-imagining your life than stressing about what is outside of your control.
For each statement, select the response that best describes how you feel right now. Please refer to the chart defining A, B, C responses.
A = In my control
B = I have some influence
C = I have no control or influence
Acknowledging what is within and outside of your control is critical to making change. By completing this activity, you’re reflecting on what you truly have control over. Investing your focus and energy on what you can control is much more helpful in re-imagining your life than stressing about what is outside of your control.
Drag each statement in the list below and release it under the teal line in the column that best describes the level of control you feel right now. If you release on top of another statement in that column, you can pick it up again and drop it underneath that statement.
My emotions
My thoughts
Other’s emotions
Other’s thoughts
My skills
My behaviour
Other’s behaviour
What I read
What I watch
Who I spend time with
My job
Where I live
My health
Health of others
My weight
What I eat
How I look
What I wear
Who I help
How I identify
Alcohol consumption
My ethnicity
My gender
My interests and hobbies
My relationships
My family
My friends
My wealth
What is within your control?
You can choose, like what you read.
What may not be within your control, but you have some influence over?
You have a say, but others also have influence on the outcomes, like how you respond to a pandemic.
What do you have no influence or control over?
You really have no control, like with someone else's emotions.
Print the finished activity so that if you feel yourself spiraling, you have a reminder of what you can control.
Those things that are within your control, you may want to consider how you can manage them in the best way for you.
For those things that you have some or no control over, you may want to use the Examining your options (sub-section) of the Plan for Resilience (click the image to go to the full document) to help you choose your response to these stressors.
