It’s October guys, the spoooookiest month of the year. Not just because of Halloween, but summer is officially over, work and school are back in full swing, everyone is broke and sad and Christmas is still so. far. away. We hate it too. So we decided we are going to take back the month of October and conquer all our worries with the brand new ‘Fear Season’. So it might not be a movie marathon of the best Halloween films, or a chance for you to jump out of a plane, but we hope you can get over some of those fears you’ve been bottling up inside this month and be ready to dive into the new season with a little less clutter in your life than before.
We are kicking it off with a biggie – losing control. Control can be a good thing, but like cheesy chips or cool original doritos, too much of it is not great for you. It can also suck for those around you, especially if you want to control what they are doing as well. it’s Libra season, so get some balance back in your life with these tips on letting go.
1) Practice letting go of little things
Letting go starts with a single step. If you are finding yourself trying to control huge parts of your life that you often can’t actually have that much power over, you probably are feeling pretty out of your depth most of the time. Try practicing letting go of the little things to get you used to not having so much control. Let someone else cook you dinner or make you a tea, give the remote to your sibling or buddy for the evening and watch what they want, give yourself a bit of a break from the pile of work you’ve buried yourself in. Letting go of the little things might not sound like a big deal, but every single bit will make your life easier.
2) Check yourself
Yelling at everyone else in your world probably isn’t going to change too much for you, and learning to check yourself when you start to get controlling is definitely going to help you win back some friends. Every time you start to feel yourself trying to make people see your point of view, give yourself a minute or two to calm down and chill.
When thoughts enter your head be like ‘why the hell are you doing it that way when my way is so much better’ and try and think ‘maybe they have a good reason for doing it their way. I should hear them out.’
3) Try to recognise how control affects others
Like we said, it can be great to be a leader, but being in control of every little thing in other people’s lives is not so great for them most of the time. Everyone wants to be individual and free to make their own decisions, so making everyone work to your schedule, watch the movie you want, play the game only you enjoy the most or wear the outfits that look the best with yours is not going to win you any friends. Just think of it like this – if someone was doing that to you, it would make you miserable right? Well, it might not be right now, but one day, they will feel the same.
4) Breathe
Taking a bit of time to breathe and a bit of space from a situation that you don’t agree with is a great way to bring a little more zen into your life. Practice some breathing exercises that can help you stay chill in a moment when you can’t control everything. Similarly, try a bit of meditation every night before you go to bed to help process and take a bit of distance from the events of the day. It’s also great just before you start your day to help you feel ready to combat anything that comes your way.
5) Respect others as well as yourself
Control, more often than not, doesn’t make any friends. That’s why it’s so important to remember to respect other people and their decisions when you go through your life. Maybe you don’t like the decision over the restaurant for that catch up meal with your best friends? Well, instead of trying to get them to change it, think about why they decided to go there, have a look at the menu and make the decisions you can control when you can. It’s not always easy to put yourself in other people’s shoes, but trying to understand why people do what they do is a great way to make peace with a decision.
Need help letting go? Reach out to the Ditch the Label Community here, and we will listen to you
