Learning to Let Go of What I Can’t Control

The past two years have been tough for me.

I’ve been feeling more emotional, more anxious, and sometimes even a little depressed. 

Maybe it’s menopause, or maybe it’s just life piling up—but my mind has been in chaos.

Small problems feel big.
I overthink everything—what people say, what they don’t say, their actions, even their silence.
It gives me sleepless nights, stress, and a heavy feeling in my chest.

Then I came across some ideas from stoicism—a way of thinking that teaches you to focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t.

It made a lot of sense to me.
So I started paying more attention to these things, and it helped me slowly feel more calm and in control of myself.

Here are:

7 Things You Can’t Control in Life

1. Other people’s actions and opinions
   You can’t control how people act or what they think. Their choices are not your responsibility.

2. The past
   What’s done is done. You can’t change it. You can only decide how to live today.

3. The weather or natural events
   Storms, heat, disasters—you can’t stop them. But you can choose how you react.

4. How others see you
   People see things through their own life experiences. Not everyone will understand you, and that’s okay.

5. The reactions of people you love
   You can do your best and still not get the response you want. That’s not something you can force.

6. Timing
   Sometimes things take longer than we want. Life doesn’t always move on our schedule.

7. Chaos in the world
   The world is busy and noisy. You can’t change that—but you can choose to stay steady inside.

Reading these helped me realize that I’ve been trying to control too many things that are not mine to carry.

Now, I remind myself:
Let go of what I can’t control. Focus on what I can—my thoughts, my actions, my peace.

And slowly, I feel a little better.

Not perfect.
But stronger.
And a little more myself again.