As human beings, we want to feel safe and have a sense of control over our lives. Fear and uncertainty can leave us feeling stressed, anxious, and powerless. The recent Optus data breach could have ignited these feelings for you. Initial shock and disbelief at the announcement of the breach could have subsided by now. Yet, you may still be experiencing stress or anxiety over the unravelling of the situation.

In this situation, some aspects are within and outside of your control. Focusing on the things that are outside of your control could make you feel helpless. Therefore, it is more constructive to focus on the things you can control, such as your behaviour, thoughts, feelings, and choices. The actions and the choices you make for yourself can improve how you feel.
Below are some tips on how to regain control of a situation where you might be feeling a lack of control:

Actively manage emotions

When circumstances are out of your control, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by emotions. Bottling up or denying your feelings will only increase stress and anxiety and make you susceptible to burnout. We also don’t want to be allowing intense emotions to have total control of our days persistently.

We are emotional beings, and it is healthy to feel emotions. Try to approach your feelings from curiosity rather than judging ‘good’ or ‘bad’ emotions. This is called the ‘observer’ mindset, allowing emotions to come and go like messengers. If you can sit with the emotions for a minute, they become milder, so you can respond calmly. When you notice your feelings arise, it can be helpful to say ask yourself, “What and where is this feeling?”, “What do I need now to nurture this emotion”?

Check-in with your thoughts

In unprecedented times, it’s easy for your mind to constantly race without even being conscious. Take the time to observe your thoughts and assess how rational they are. You may find it helpful to jot down your thoughts in a journal. Reframing negative thoughts can lead to more pleasant emotions and reduce overthinking and worrying.

Use the three C’s strategy to check in with your thoughts:

1. Catch: Identify the thought that came before the emotions.
2. Check: Reflect on how accurate and valuable the thought is.
3. Change: Change the idea into a more accurate or helpful one as needed.

Practice mindfulness

Focusing on the present moment switches your attention to what’s happening right now and prevents excessive stress or worrying about the future. By being fully connected to the present, you can interrupt the negative assumptions and worst-case scenarios running through your mind.

Mindfulness can help to calm your mind, ease stress, and boost your overall mood. Mindfulness strategies can include listening to guided meditations, breathing exercises, or engaging in everyday activities with intentional effort to observe the present moment – such as mindful eating or mindful walking.

Write a list of the things that are within and outside of your control

Recognise the aspects of the situation that are within your control and write them down. Also, write down those that are worrying you, which you have no control over and cross them out.

Look over this list now and then. Depending on your role in the situation, you may find that all you can control is your attitude and emotional response.

Implement a daily or weekly planning routine 

Taking control of your days or week by creating a little more structure can help you regain control of your life. Planning helps you stay focused on what matters to you, including scheduling work tasks and self-care activities and events.

Self-care activities

Self-care is anything you do to take care of yourself, so you can stay physically, mentally, and emotionally well. Integrating self-care activities into your routine can subside feelings of lacking control and reduce anxiety.

Exercise: Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious. Exercise guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week for most healthy adults.

Get plenty of sleep: It has been shown that a lack of sleep can impair self-regulation, meaning you may have less control over your responses to your emotion. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep a night and practice good sleep hygiene, such as not using your phone in bed, going to bed the same time each night, avoiding caffeine or sugar later in the day and listening to a guided meditation or calming music right before bedtime.

Eat a healthy diet: Healthy meals can help maintain energy levels and prevent mood swings. Avoid sugary and processed foods and try to add more omega-3 fats to give your overall mood a boost. Engage in hobbies or past times you love: It can be easy to feel swept away from a stressful event. Remember that fun and leisure time is necessary for overall well-being and health. Start
incorporating a hobby or pastime you love at least once a week or fortnight. This will release those ‘feel-good’ endorphins and give you a chance to restore and recharge your energy.

Social supports: It can be easy to bury your head in the sand when stressed, so try to actively stay engaged with your social supports, such as friends, family and colleagues. Studies have shown that a network of social support benefits includes improving the ability to cope with stressful situations and alleviating the effects of emotional distress.

Final notes:

• Remember to regularly check in with yourself a few times over the day.
• Keep up the communication with your team leader/manager if you cannot carry out your normal work duties.
• Professional mental health support is available if you struggle with your mental health and ability to work. 

Please consider accessing free and confidential counselling support by making an appointment with one of our clinicians by calling 1300 360 364 (AU), 0800 360 364 (NZ), or +61 2 8295 2292 (INTL) speak now with a clinician via LiveChat (available via BeneHub).