Feeling helpless in troubled times such as the ones we’re going through is understandable. None of us have the experience of what we’re dealing with and all are learning how to navigate through these troubled times along the way. There’s no ‘user-manual’ which we can turn to.
Having said that, in the world where everything seems out of our control, there’s one thing which we can control – our thoughts and how we respond to them. That might seem to be a bit too simplistic but it’s true that it’s you who control your thoughts and not the other way around.
With this in mind, let’s look at these three tips using which you can stop feeling helpless in these times:
#1: Focus on the present
Let’s be honest: nobody knows what is going to happen tomorrow. So why bother sending our mind into a tizzy worrying about it? Studies suggest that if we focus what is right in front of us, we are better equipped to face the problems that we face and our life satisfaction improves.
One of the best ways to ‘live in the moment’ is to keep yourself busy. You can do that by performing household chores, like subjecting your floor to electrostatic cleaning, or doing any of your favorite pastimes which you didn’t have time to do in the pre-COVID world.
#2: Turn to positive self-talk
All of us know that it’s our emotions that determine our mood. What we don’t know, however, is that we can control our emotions through self-talk. That means that what we tell ourselves – either consciously or subconsciously – affects our behavior. That positive self-talk is therapy that is available for free.
Healthy and positive self-task will inspire positive action. You can tell yourself things like: “It’s bad right now but time always changes”. Or “What steps can I do to make my day better”? Or “What can I do to help others” as helping others is a gateway to our own happiness.
#3: Identify things you can control
According to a study, people who identify things that they can control – and later made plans to address them, were able to see a reduction in their stress, anxiety and depression levels than others. Here’s an example as to how you can do that.
You can say to yourself: “I’ll move that electrostatic sprayer and back pack to the other room” or “I’ll be sure to sanitize my keys every time I return home”. Provided you do that, you’ll get a sense of control and your feeling of helplessness will decrease.