It’s OK to give up control from time to time.
As career women, we find that control is one of the more frequently used tools in our arsenal and for good reason. Without some control, there would be chaos in the workplace. Employees would rebel! Timesheets would be filled out backwards! And the break room fridge would be a complete disaster!
All joking aside, once we get control, it can be very hard to give it up and it’s no surprise! As women, we have to work very hard to get the respect we deserve in the workplace and with respect comes control. So sometimes we think that if we lose control, we’ll lose respect. Not the case, friends. There is a time and place for control, but when it gets in the way of our normal interactions and actually starts affecting relationships negatively, then it has become toxic and we just have to learn how to let go. Easier said than done, I know, but here are a few tips that might help you release your vice grip on control.
Just breathe.
Yes, I know this sounds so simple, but it’s actually quite effective. Anytime you start to feel yourself tensing with the thought of losing a little bit of control. Close your eyes and consciously breathe. Feel the air fill up your lungs and expand your chest. When you exhale, let go of a little bit of the control you are clinging to.
Tell yourself “It’s OK.”
Yet another simple solution that works wonders if you can actually get the words to pass your lips. I recommend taking a few great cleansing breaths before you try this. Then, clear your mind of everything and say, out loud, “It’s OK.” Sometimes your psyche just needs permission from your voice to let go and hearing yourself utter those words can lift a good deal of weight off your shoulders.
Open yourself up to trust.
This is a tough one, I know. But in order to relinquish control, you have to be able to trust someone else to handle the areas where you let go. Frequently, when we start becoming a control freak, we stop trusting anyone but ourselves, but if we can slowly start to trust others again, we’ll find that most people will come through for us on every occasion.
