Grounding exercise

Circle of Control

Put your energy where it can matter: what you control, what you influence, and what you need to release.

Three circles

Control
Your choices, words, boundaries, and next action
Influence
Conversations and situations you can affect but not determine
Release
Other people's reactions, past events, and outcomes you cannot command

How to use it

  • Write the situation at the top of a page
  • Sort each concern into one of the three circles
  • Choose one small action from the control circle

Reflection

What deserves your effort today, and what is asking to be carried without being controllable?