Acknowledge What You Can Control
We don't have control over everything in life, and nowhere is this more clear than in our personal security – the sense of being safe physically, emotionally, and environmentally. As with all aspects of wellbeing, there are things we can control and things we cannot.
Stress-hardy people focus their energy on events that they have influence over, rather than situations beyond their control. You have probably heard The Serenity prayer, attributed to American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, which expresses this well:
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
Make safe choices
Some aspects of security are entirely your choice. You can increase your chances of staying safe by wearing a seatbelt, locking your door, and getting vaccinated against disease.
But some of the choices you make in life are connected to security in ways you might not have realized. You might not intend to cause harm when you throw away plastic instead of recycling, but consider the indirect consequences of this choice. The plastic will end up in a landfill, which releases greenhouse gases and contributes to climate change. Over time, shifting temperatures can trigger natural disasters and increase health problems, both of which present a threat to yourself and other humans.
Or think about the choices you make when you're in the voting booth. When you vote for candidates who take away rights from others, you're not only decreasing the security of those people, you're destabilizing society as a whole by creating inequity.
Understand what is beyond your control
There are also aspects of your life that you have little to no control over, such as systemic inequities that lead to disproportionately unsafe situations for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC); women; and people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer (LGBTQ+). The amount of money you have and where you can afford to live can contribute to your ability to feel secure. And societal crises – like a global pandemic – can sweep in and destabilize your life without warning.
Though we all want to feel safe and secure, each one of us has different circumstances that determine how safe we are at any time. However, we often do have choices that we can make to increase safety.
What you can do
- Ask yourself: What is within my control, and what are safe choices that I can make? Take steps to address your immediate security by creating a safe home, being safe in your community, and securing yourself online.
- Develop strategies for managing the fear and anxiety that may arise when you begin to acknowledge the aspects of your life that you have little to no control over.
- Security for all increases security for you. Learn ways to promote equity and protect others in your community and beyond.
