Taking Back Control

Do you feel that you're in charge of your life? We live in very stressful times where insomnia, burnout and depression have become the new normal for millions of people. There has to be a better response to these deeply unhealthy conditions than a growing reliance on prescription medication. Whilst the subject is complex and each individual needs to be cared for on a case by case basis, there are some general principles that we can adopt in order to improve the quality of our lives and avoid the risks of breakdown.

One of the leading causes of depression is a corrosive sense of despair because we no longer feel that we are in control of our lives. When we experience sudden, difficult changes or a succession of destabilising setbacks, we might feel that we are sliding into a trough of despair where we experience a sense of being helpless. One antidote to this condition is to take physical action and recover a sense of being able to influence your immediate environment. It might seem very simple but the act of cleaning or tidying a room can be surprisingly therapeutic. Not only does your world look and feel better but you’ve improved your surroundings and brought order out of a possibly confused and chaotic situation. You feel more confident and more capable of using your energy for positive purposes.

On another level, physical activity can be very helpful in clearing the head and improving sleep. Tackling an overgrown garden or clearing out a neglected storage space requires effort, sweat and a measure of determination and the physical exertion diverts energy away from feelings of despair and focuses on something practical and surprisingly satisfying. One of the great advantages of these physical activities is that you can see the results of your work. You make a solid connection between your decision to invest in an expenditure of effort and the improvements you create within a short amount of time. This feeling of being able to do things and make a positive difference is a powerful recipe for regaining a sense of control over your life. You feel better. Your reasoning faculties begin to analyse your situation more clearly. Your creativity has a chance to put in a much-needed appearance. Your perception opens up to encompass broader possibilities and unexpected opportunities. The old shadows of fear begin to dissolve as you feel that you are more in control of your life than you imagined.

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