Weight issues are something that leave women feeling out of control too
Worrying about health issues is leaving women feeling out of control, according to new research.
The new survey reveals that 1.3 million people across the UK feel like they have no control over their lives more than 20 times a week.
This feeling leaves nearly half of UK adults feeling frustrated and stressed, and almost a third suffering from anxiety.
The research from E.ON found that there are three reasons as to why we feel out of control, for women that’s health, finances and weight. Whereas for men, it comes down to travel delays, health and the weather.
Judi James, expert in social behaviour, said: “A perceived lack of control over the things in life – such as our household bills, or our professional workload – is enough to create a sense of anxiety for most people.
“Feeling out of control of our lives can have a direct effect on our ability to cope with pressure and stress in everyday situations, impacting on our overall sense of wellbeing. Attempting to regain control over the smaller, more manageable issues is a simple but effective way to help avoid stress and anxiety in day-to-day life.”
Judi James’ Top five tips for staying in control of your life:
- Avoid ‘helpless’ dialogue like ‘I’ve got to get up’, ‘I must get that pile of work done by lunchtime’ etc., and replace these with coping options such as ‘I choose to...’ instead.
- Scribble down negative thoughts every time one pops into your head – this should help you offload pent-up feelings that can lead to stress. What’s more, reading these thoughts back at a later stage can help put them into context.
- Use the ‘Ten Minute Rule’ for dealing with issues that are putting you under pressure; put ten minutes into sorting out a task as soon as it crops up, rather than waiting until you have a huge amount of time free to tackle it. Remember – starting to deal with a task is often the greatest step in the process.
- Ignorance isn’t bliss – especially when it comes to finances. But keeping on top of your finances automatically places you in the driving seat. Technology such as smart meters track your energy use and mean you always get an accurate bill, helping you feel more in control of the energy you’re using and how much you’re spending.
- Remember that small changes can have a profound effect on your overall sense of wellbeing, so don’t think this is all about tackling the big stuff. Create a list of all the smaller issues that you need to deal with, and then tackle them one by one.
Nearly a third of people feel they’re not in control because they ‘put things off’, another third are ‘too busy to do everything’, and almost a quarter are just ‘too disorganised’ to stay on top of everything, so take on board this tips and get back in control of your life.