Much stress in your life is because you feel you lost control. Someone else is steering your ship and this makes you feel powerless. Just the thought of someone else telling you what you can and can't do may make you angry, and then you immediately conclude that your freedom is at risk.

This is an urgent sign that you need to find ways to improve self-control and reduce stress in your life.

Improve Self-Control And Reduce Stress In Your Life Before It Impacts Others

When you have the feeling that you lost control of your life you try to compensate for this lack of control by preying on those who will allow it. The unfortunate consequence is that controlling someone else can deteriorate that relationship. Trust is at stake, and they'll distance themselves.

Eventually you'll begin to lose the people that are important in your life.

That feeling of losing control, is just that—a feeling. Thoughts of what could be, lean towards negative ruminating when you feel your freedom is threatened.

With small changes, this feeling, or the thoughts of losing control can shift to reduce stress, and loving your life and the people in it.

5 Tips To Get Stress Under Control By Building Self Awareness & Changing Your Mindset

1. Check That Your Actions Are Consistent With Your Character

You always have control of your actions—what you do and say around others or alone, is controlled by you. If your actions are out of character, take a step back and ask how you'd handle this in reasonable times. The key is to first get to know who you are.

2. Choose Optimism Over Pessimism For A Positive Mindset

Seth Godin says, "Optimism is the most important human trait, because it allows us to evolve our ideas, to improve our situation, and to hope for a better tomorrow." When you're in a positive mindset, you're more capable to coming up with solutions that benefit you and move you forward.

3. Identify the Triggers That Cause Your Strong Emotions

If you find that thoughts are stirring up strong emotions, circle back to the place this started. You'll find the trigger that had you going down the negative path, then change your language to positive words and outcomes. Many times what triggered the strong emotions was merely a misunderstanding of the message or circumstances.

4. Understand The Emotion Connected To The Situation

Acknowledge what you're feeling—the emotion that's present—then take a moment to assess why you feel that way. Understanding the emotion attached to a circumstance helps you to manage a challenging situation and get in the frame of mind to solve it.

5. Down A Glass of Water As A Personal Intervention

When you drink an entire glass of cold water this drops the temperature that was heightened by emotions. And it refocuses you while taking a minute to drink it. View this as a personal intervention.

If you think about it, all five of these are activities you have 100% control of. By implementing these activities and continue to practice them, over time, you change the way you react to uncertain circumstances. You become more confident that you have control of your life, your freedom is restored and you are loving your life.

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Christine Hourd, ACC is a certified professional success and leadership life coach in Calgary, Alberta. She works with business owners and professionals, online and in-person, to remove obstacles and create strategies to reach their personal and professional goals. Talk to Christine and find out how the Success Mastery Program can help you reach your goals.