How To Reset When Life Gets Out Of Control

We all know how it is when life gets a little too crazy. It doesn’t matter if it’s been “since summer” or “the last three years” sometimes in doing our best to manage what we’ve been given- we get off course from what’s best for us, or at least from where we’d rather see ourselves. These are the times when figuring out “How to Reset” becomes so important to us.

We usually crave a reset when we’re coming out of a period of survival mode. It’s usually the little things that started to add up into habits that aren’t really supporting our health or well-being but more helping us cope with our struggles. Maybe things got out of control, so you started eating foods with more sugar to help soothe the emotional pain, or you the depression starts to creep in and before you know if you’re sleeping the day away. Whatever it looks like for you personal- please remember it’s okay that you got to this place and it’s okay to want to get back out of it.

This has happened many times in my life, so if for some reason this is the first or most major time it’s happening to you- first, please know, it’s going to be okay! Second, there’s two big pillars you’ll need to invoke for yourself right now: Reason and Self-Discipline. With these two things you are sure to succeed in finding the reset button for yourself.

Start With Being Reasonable

By the time you get to the place where you want to hit the reset button, you’re probably feeling many things: fear from what will happen if you stay on the course you’re on, or anger at some of the reasons you got to this place, maybe it shows up more as frustration, sadness, depression- and because you want to override those feelings so bad, you’re more apt to feel like EVERYTHING needs to change fast and change now.

This is why the first pillar for your reset begins with: reason. Being reasonable with what your action plan is, and reasonable with what realistic changes you can expect out of yourself.

Reason is defined as, “the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgments by a process of logic.” And let me say- as much as we want to live more from our hearts instead of our minds, I do think in order to find real and lasting change you have to use your mind to be realistic with yourself.

I also think acting with reason makes it easier to meet yourself with compassion and love, as that’s also very important when you’re figuring out how to reset.

Move with Self Discipline

The next pillar is the part where we have to get really comfortable doing things that we’ve gotten comfortable NOT doing, or to start doing things that we don’t really feel like doing. That’s why you’ll need: self discipline.

Self Discipline: the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it.

Whenever you’re on the adventure of creating new habits in your life, you have to find the inner strength to keep pursuing your goals despite all the feelings that are going to tempt you to abandon your process.

Now this can look a lot of different ways! Sometimes in order to make it happen you can find an accountability buddy, or sign up for classes where you feel more obligated to show up. Sometimes it helps to put something you like as a reward in front of the obstacle that normally prevents you from getting over the hump, for example: if you’re wanting to create a new habit of getting out of bed earlier, you give yourself your favorite smoothie or coffee as soon as you get out of bed.

There’s so many different tricks you can use to help yourself succeed with the reset you crave, but when your’e figuring out how to reset- remember starting small will always work in your favor as it’s more reasonable, and more achievable for the self discipline you’ll be able to muster up, especially when things are still kind of rocky.

I also want to encourage you that it doesn’t have to be perfect! As an all or nothing kind of person, I’ve fallen into that trap before and in the end progress always wins. Making personal progress really does matter.

If you want to hear more about my own struggles and journey with figuring out how to reset when things get crazy, check out this week’s episode on The A Bit From Within Podcast. Every week we dive into self care topics especially for recovering perfectionists, those struggling with anxiety, and those working to increase their sense of self worth. You can listen here below, on apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!