How to Stay Centered When Life Feels Out of Control

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• How to Stay Centered When Life Feels Out of Control
• From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• How to Curb Oversensitivity and Anger Due to Low Self-Esteem
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• Parenting Quote

It seems like so much in life right now is out of our individual control, which naturally worsens symptoms of mental health challenges. Shifting your focus onto what in your own life you can affect can help ease symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.

Here are a few tips for maintaining positive mental health when life feels out of control.

• Focus on your own sense of purpose. Consider all the positives in your life. Consider creating a simple daily ritual: Brew a cup of tea or make some hot chocolate, sit in a favorite chair snuggled in a cozy blanket, and spend some time mindfully writing in a journal, reflecting on why you do what you do every day.
• Carry a focus object that represents this meaning. Select a small object or picture, and carry it with you. When you catch yourself feeling anxious, sad, or caught up in all that is wrong, pull yourself out of it by studying how it looks, what it feels like in your hands, and how it sounds or smells if that’s applicable.
• Separate yourself from your anxiety and other negative thoughts and feelings. In acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), this is called defusion. When you notice that you’re caught up in negative thoughts, pause and remind yourself, “I’m having the thought that…” This acknowledges your thoughts in a nonjudgmental way and kindly reminds you that this is a thought rather than an absolute truth.

These tips can’t change things that are beyond our control, but they can help you maintain a sense of centeredness for your mental health.

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Anxiety makes it hard to practice self-care because it fills your mind with negative thoughts, worries, and fears. In this video, get practical information on how to quiet anxiety so you can practice the self-care you need. Take a look.

Articles Related to Feeling Centered Despite External Problems

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• Avoid Political Stressors, Stay Happy
• 5 Ways to Calm Your Anxious Mind in Less Than 5 Minutes
• Manage Overwhelming Emotions with Healthy Perspectives
• Emotional Resilience – Bounce Back from Difficulty 
• 10 Tips to Improve Your Emotional Wellness 

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: : What do you do to feel calm when you’re overwhelmed by events you can’t control? We invite you to participate by sharing your thoughts, experiences, and knowledge on the HealthyPlace Facebook page.

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From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• Everything I Do Is Wrong
• Anxious for Your First Therapy Session? Read This
• Intense BPD Feelings and Finding the Truth
• Everything Feeling Impossible? It's Not You, It's Depression
• Accepting That I'm Imperfect
• I Can't Stop Insulting Myself
• Feeling Guilty About Self-Harm Scars
• Finding Happiness After Verbal Abuse
• An Endless Urge to Cry
• I Like Reading About Other People’s ADHD Experience
• Dealing with Anxiety When You're Sick
• BPD Symptoms and the Physical Side Effects
• Binge Eating Disorder and the Fear of the Unknown
• Being More Assertive Can Build Self-Esteem
• The Winding Road Through Self-Harm Recovery
• The Trauma of a Mass Shooting with Schizoaffective Anxiety
• What Is BIPOC Mental Health Month (MHM)?
• Learning to Stop Over-Apologizing Because I Was Abused
• Using the Physiological Sigh to Manage Anxiety
• Recognize Marketing Tactics that Use Mental Health Stigma
• Maintaining Friendships When You Have Anxiety Is Hard
• How to Ensure an Eating Disorder Will Not Ruin a Vacation
• My Friendships Have Affected My Mental Health
• BPD and Crisis: Part 1

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

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From the HealthyPlace YouTube Channel

With ADHD, impulsivity can manifest in conversations and cause communication problems. However, Michael improved his conversational skills through active listening, and you can too. Learn how he did it. Watch.

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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. 10 Most Common Dangers That Can Lead to a Alcohol or Drug Relapse
2. Depression Treatment Options
3. What Positive Motivational Quotes Can Help Me Through Today?

If you haven't already, I hope you'll like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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Parenting Quote

"Your children need your presence more than your presents." ~Jesse Jackson

Read more quotes about parenting.

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Thank you,
Deborah

Community Partner Team
HealthyPlace.com - America's Mental Health Channel
"When you're at HealthyPlace.com, you're never alone."
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