5 Things That You Can Control Right Now
2020 has been anything but a cakewalk, and I feel like a lot of us are emotionally spent. I'll be the first to say that I’ve had moments this year where I hyper focused on things that I can’t control - going into an emotional tailspin AND neglecting working toward my dreams 😅🙋🏻♀️
One thing that can put a damper on productivity is getting bogged down by things that we can't control. Don’t feel guilty if you have a day every once in awhile when you just have to throw that to-do list (including your Focus 3) out the window and chill the heck out. BUT I do think it’s important to make sure that on those days, you are taking care of yourself. Let yourself feel your feelings. Be sad. Frustrated. Overwhelmed. But don’t stay put. Do things that honor your mental + physical health, you know?
These 5 things might seem minor but they are actually a pretty big deal. These 5 things are what make up your day to day life. They affect how you show up for your life and for your family. So what are they?
1️⃣ How you spend your time.
You get to choose what makes its way onto your calendar/schedule. Y’all have heard me say this many times but you are the gatekeeper of your time. And that is true no matter who you “share” your time with - a boss, your family, etc. You still have to take ownership of it.
So how are you spending your time?
Sitting on the couch focusing on how stressed out you are over the current state of the world as you simultaneously scroll Facebook and watch the news? YIKES. Sounds terrifying to me.
Are you sitting around talking poorly about our nation and feeding into the negativity?
Or are you praying for peace, justice, and comfort?
Or are you choosing to spend your time doing things that you know support the wellness of your mental health?
I encourage you to make a list of things that you know ground you. Make it now so that when you are starting to feel out of control, you can peek at the list and grab something off of it. What kind of things bring you back to center when you start to spiral?
Pay attention to how you are spending your time. Because you get to choose how it’s being spent.
2️⃣ What you consume.
Believe it or not, you 100% can control what you consume. So stop surrendering your sanity to the scroll. I repeat, stop surrendering your sanity to the dang scroll!
Now obviously, if you’re at the store you don’t get to choose what is playing over the loudspeakers but when you’re in your car or your home or you have headphones in - you get to choose what’s flowing from the speakers into your mind.
And I know a lot of us think our phones are in fact part of our right hands but you can actually put it down and not spend every spare moment reading intense Facebook post after intense Facebook post.
This is your permission to mute/block/whatever stuff that you’re consuming that is damaging your spirit. Yep, even your Great Uncle Bob - mute him too.
I talk about this in the Hustle Sanely Program and the girls in the program this time had such solid takeaways from this section so I want to share some of it here:
What you consume is important. The content that you’re allowing into your mind every day matters. It matters a lot. The TV shows you watch, the YouTube channels you’re subscribed to, the podcasts you’re listening to, the books you’re reading, the people you follow on Instagram...it all matters! I encourage you to audit the content that you’re absorbing. Is it content that is full of life and truth? Or is it stuff that is causing you to struggle with your mindset? Make sure that the content that you consume aligns with the kind of person you want to be.
Do what you gotta do to to better control what you are consuming - delete apps, cancel subscriptions, set boundaries, whatever - just do it, because it is your responsibility to protect what makes its way through your eyes and ears.
3️⃣ The words that you speak.
Did you know that you actually don’t have to say every single thing you think? Mind blowing concept, I KNOW! But seriously, just like you are in control of what you allow in, you are in control of what you allow out. Are you speaking words of truth and life? Or is your speech littered with complaining and snapping?
Our words all start out as thoughts as we have the ability to take our thoughts captive (go read 2 Corinthians 10:5 if you don’t believe me). What does it mean to take something captive? To confine it or imprison it - aka to not let it out.
Our tongues are powerful. The words that we speak out carry weight. I mean think about it - I bet you can recall something that someone said to you 15 or 20 years ago that really hurt your heart. I know I can. That is proof that words are powerful. They make a lasting impression and have the ability to influence people’s lives - whether for the good or for the bad.
We are called to speak words of life and truth. The Bible is overflowing with scripture related to being slow to speak so that our words are spoken with intention and grace. One of my favorite reminders is in Ephesians 4:29 and it says:
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
This is applicable advice whether you’re a follower of Jesus or not - before you say something, ask yourself, “Is this going to benefit whoever hears it?” And that includes yourself! Are you going to benefit from the words that you’re about to let escape your mouth? Be mindful of what you are speaking into this world, girl. You get to choose which thoughts turn into words.
4️⃣ How you treat your body.
Okay this one hits close to home because of my history as a personal trainer. How we treat our bodies is HUGE you guys. And here is what I’m talking about when I say that:
⋒ How often and what type of exercising you’re doing
⋒ What kinds of foods you’re filling your body with
⋒ How much sleep you’re getting
⋒ How much water you’re drinking
Our physical health habits have such a major impact on our mental health. When we’re lacking in exercise, sleep, eating well, and drinking enough water - it’s really hard to show up well, ya know?
I 10/10 know that I have as much energy as I do to get as much done as I do because of how seriously I take these 4 things (exercise, food, sleep, and water). How amazing that we get to control ALL of these things?
5️⃣ Your immediate environment.
The last thing that I want to chat about that you can control is your environment. You can’t control circumstances but you get to control the kind of presence you are. You get to control the vibe of your home.
You know what I mean here - when you walk into someone’s home and you can just FEEL the home giving you a hug - like it’s a warm, inviting space. Create that for yourself at home so that when you’re there you can truly relax and feel at ease.
Ways that you can do that:
⋒ Pray over your home
⋒ Simplify your space by getting rid of stuff you don’t use/need anymore
⋒ Set the mood by diffusing some yummy essential oils - my fave combo right now is NLBS and Christmas Spirit from Young Living
⋒ Keep your living spaces clean and functional
Take pride in your home, girl - that is the place that you make memories! You get to decide what comes in and out of your home.
If you enjoyed this post, tune into episode 057 of The Hustle Sanely Podcast to listen into this topic!
