Breaking Free from Auto-Pilot: Taking Control of Your Emotional Health

In today’s fast-paced world, many of us operate on auto-pilot, vulnerable to an ecosystem where negativity can take over in an instant. The good news? With conscious effort, we can steer our thoughts toward a more positive lifestyle. But first, we need to be honest with ourselves — acknowledge where we stand emotionally before things escalate.

Here’s a simple exercise to help you reflect on your emotional health. Read through the following scenarios carefully and imagine yourself in these situations. Pay attention to the thoughts that arise. These thoughts can provide valuable insight into where you are emotionally.

Scenario 1: The Late School Bus Imagine you’re the parent of a 7-year-old child. Every day, your child comes home at 12:30 p.m. via the school bus. Today, it’s 12:45 p.m., and they haven’t arrived yet. Take a moment. What thoughts come to mind?

Now, let’s say you decide to wait a little longer. By 1:15 p.m., there’s still no sign of the bus. You call the school but get no answer, and you realize you don’t have the bus driver’s contact number. What thoughts come up now?

If your mind immediately jumps to:

• “What if there was an accident?”
• “What if someone abducted my child?”