Right now, the world seems loaded with huge, way-of-life-altering events and power struggles that have one thing in common — they seem hopelessly, emphatically out of our control.
Like everyone else, we went to our NYE parties thinking that 2020 would maybe continue the streak of weirdness that has been the last few years, but business would continue more or less as usual.
A face mask, three pairs of very lived in sweatpants, and a ton of Netflix box sets later, we’re happy to throw our hands up and admit that we were wrong. We were all so wrong.
Understandably, that can make an individual feel very small and extremely anxious. According to a review paper published while the world was locked down, early evidence suggests that 16 to 28 percent of people showed symptoms of anxiety and depression in response to COVID-19, and 8 percent reported stress.Trusted Source
In a finding that will be of no surprise at all to those grasping at the enormity of what’s been happening, sleepless nights were commonly linked to anxiety and depression.
Even without a pandemic in the mix, life can be pretty complicated. Although most of us have plenty to manage in our day-to-day lives — jobs, relationships, family, exercise, sleep, wondering how “Baby Shark” has almost 6 billion views — there are only a few elements we can truly control.
We believe it’s absolutely central to happiness that you take stock of these, own them, and accept the wildcards life draws on your behalf.
This might sound like a distant concept when 2020 rocks up at your door, foaming at the mouth and flipping the bird. It’s exhausting to even think about changing your mindset. We know. If you got out of bed today, it sincerely counts as an achievement.
But hear us out. Once we become mindful of the seven parts of life that are 100 percent ours to manage and master, we may well be able to navigate to a brighter place.
