Gaining a sense of control

Finding you again

It’s mid Feb and there are an enormous amount of lockdowns happening right now. The state of Victoria in Australia is day 3 into lockdown 3, Auckland in New Zealand is on day 1 of another lockdown, Malaysia’s into week 4 off a further lockdown, and our colleagues in the UK and US have various restrictions in place. Late last week when the rumor mill went wild with news of a forthcoming lockdown for Melbourne many of us were triggered from our last experiences of 111 days in Stage 4 restrictions. I think really everyone had different responses. Some immediately ran for the supermarket for toilet paper, others contemplated what worked last time and what might be crucial to put into place for this one. Like many of us, the sense of control, or lack thereof is very much present.

One of the things we all have is the ability to control ourselves. Our awareness is one of our superpowers when it comes to our reaction to all things out of our influence or control. When we worry we become unproductive, head into rumination and cycles that are not conducive for us. How we talk to ourselves can really be impeded as well.

Sphere of control

A strategy that is amazing at this time to help us connect back to the present but also add some perspective is a sphere of control.

If you think of your situation right now. What can you control? Make a list:

My lists begins like this …

My own social distancing
My own hygiene practices
My ability to QR code scan myself into venues
My kindness to myself
Turning off the news
Doomscrolling
Who I can reach out to
My positive emotions
The fuel I feed myself to help me feel the most energised I can be

What else might be right for you?

Now that you have thought about your sphere of control in relation to your life and especially covid. Let’s think about higher education as a context. Some examples might be:

Working with a learning and teaching team you are unfamiliar with
Creating content for a new subject
Teaching a subject for the first time
Completing a deadline for your PhD
Seeking feedback on a section of your PhD you have been struggling with
Co-writing
Working with your supervisor
Research grant writing
Meeting a tight deadline
Research data collection during covid

Make a list responding to the two questions: What can I control? What can I not control?

What do you notice in yourself? Are you finding you again?

Gaining a sense of control: Finding you again