Recently, I have been struggling with the feeling that everything in my life is out of my control. As someone who feels the need for control, this has become a problem for me. Especially since coming back to Boston and living in a small apartment, I have oftentimes felt stuck and have experienced some small-space anxieties. With COVID-19, life feeling out of control is not just something I have been dealing with, but also something we are all dealing with.
I have tried to adapt my daily routine and make time for activities that make me feel in control and give me a more positive daily outlook. Below, I have listed my top five ways to effectively control my life.
- Staying active
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My first—and most important—tip is staying active. I try to work out every day, but I do take a rest day once every two weeks or so. Staying active is my favorite way to feel in control because I am in control of both when and how I work out. Also, working out just makes me happier, and I love knowing that staying active is making me an overall healthier person.
- Going outside every day
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This goes somewhat hand-in-hand with staying active. Especially because of my small-space anxiety issues, I try to go outside every single day. Normally, I will go on a walk around my apartment for at least 30 minutes; however, sometimes going outside just means standing on my balcony for a few minutes. Regardless, going outside helps me feel in control over my environment and has made me a happier and more positive person.
- Enjoying good food
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I love food a lot; however, I have the tendency to get into a routine with the foods I eat, and eating becomes more of a necessity rather than an enjoyable experience. Therefore, I have been trying to give myself some treats throughout the week. My favorite takeout/delivery has recently been the Nutella Bowl from Playa Bowls. I have an actual addiction to those.
- Creating a daily schedule
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I have always been a very organized person. Staying organized throughout my whole life has always helped me feel more in control of my daily routine and life. I use both Google Calendar and Notion to plan out my days and weeks. Google Calendar helps me time block throughout the day, and Notion—an online bullet journal—helps me organize my non-school activities and goals. I also make to-do lists in advance so that I know what is coming up in future weeks. My favorite way of staying organized is through a giant spreadsheet I make at the beginning of every semester with every single assignment, reading, quiz, paper, and exam for every single class I am taking. That spreadsheet is so helpful when looking forward to which weeks will be slower or busier. Generally, staying organized helps me stay in control of what I do each day.
- Journaling
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This is the most recent addition to my daily routine. I have never been a big journaling fan because I find it really difficult to calm down and actually write thoughts down instead of talking about them. However, journaling has helped me become more positive as I always write down what I am grateful for. This has really helped me focus on the good rather than the bad, which is just so easy to do, especially right now.
I hope you enjoyed these tips on how to feel more in control of your life. If you are struggling with that feeling, just know that you are not alone.
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