Fears of the future: What we can influence (and what we can't)

What can we influence?

Author Steven Covey coined the term "Circle of Influence." He uses it to describe those areas in our lives that we can directly influence. So if, for example, you have the feeling that you are helplessly at the mercy of the wave of inflation, it can help to take a very concrete look at your own spending.

What are the benefits of this check?

The point of this conscious preoccupation with your own finances is that you regain some sense of control over your own life. It allows you to realize: I'm doing what I can and actively seeking pragmatic solutions within my sphere of influence. If looking at your own finances overwhelms you, there is professional help for that too, for example through personal counselling from Mavie (but this counselling is not debt counselling). 

What can we not influence?

According to Steven Covey, the counterpart to the "Circle of Influence" is the "Circle of Concern". He uses this to refer to everything that affects us and affects us in the broadest sense - but which we cannot influence directly. This also includes bad news such as war, inflation, climate crisis, etc., which hit us via the media. 

Reduce "doomscrolling"

If these topics in particular are perceived as stressful, it can help to consume media more consciously. Instead of scrolling through apps for hours (known as "doomscrolling"), you can resolve to consume media only in a specific time window (not right after waking up or just before going to sleep). It's best to find a moment when you feel relatively relaxed - then you'll be able to cope better with bad news.

What to do when the fears are there?

In moments when fears and worries are acute, it helps to remember: We are not our feelings. And: Feelings also pass away again! To calm yourself down, you can try to get back from your thoughts into your body and into the present. Here, for example, conscious breathing can help very well. Or you can say "stop" out loud to your thought carousel.

However, this does not mean that you have to suppress these feelings. If you try with all your might to suppress feelings, they will become all the stronger. It is better to acknowledge feelings such as fear or worry and bring them out into the open - for example, by talking about them with friends or experts. In this way, you provide yourself with relief.