Empower Yourself for Better Mental Health
I’m stuck. There’s nothing I can do. It has to be this way. I might as well give up.
Sound familiar? A lot of people, and most of my clients, have felt disempowered. Maybe it was in a relationship, with a job, or a situation with a family member. No matter what the specifics, the overall theme was “I don’t have control” and that made it really hard for them to take any kind of action to move themselves forward.
In psychology there is a concept called the “locus of control.” This refers to essentially how much control you believe that you have over yourself and your life. If it is internal, this locus of control would tell us that we have the power and control to change things in our lives. Located externally however, it would have us believe that outside events or other people are the ones who determine where we can go or what we can do. Usually people go back and forth, depending on the situation and context. However, it is important to note that a strong external locus of control is associated with greater anxiety, depressive symptoms, and behavioral concerns.
One of the things I emphasize with my clients is in finding balance in the locus of control. There are many things that we simply have no control over (the choices of others, natural phenomena), and it is important to recognize that. However, there are also a lot of aspects of our lives (the choices we make) that we do have a lot of control over. Learning how to empower ourselves and take control of these areas of our lives is crucial for building real, sustained mental wellbeing.
Helping ourselves take control of the areas of our lives that we can helps us to “ride the wave” when life rolls the dice. Empowerment says “No matter what life throws my way, I know I am going to make the best choices I can to help myself get through this.” Cultivating this attitude can give us a sense of hopefulness about the future, even in hard times.
Are you looking for a therapist who can help you feel more empowered? Schedule your free consult today to talk more about how I can help you reach your fullest potential.
