Trapped in a traffic jam due to yet another construction project, a clogged toilet or the neighbor’s dog pooping in your yard again — so many stressful things can be overwhelming.
Research suggests a simple solution: feeling more in control.
Even a little boost in perceived control can make everyday challenges easier to handle.
Feeling in Control Helps You Take Action
The study from Penn State found that on days when people felt more in control, they were 62 percent more likely to actually do something about the problem, like calling a plumber or having a tough conversation.
Interestingly, this effect grew stronger with age. Feeling in control is not just about managing today’s stress.
It can become a long-term resource for better health and well-being.
Small Boosts, Big Benefits
Even small boosts in control over daily hassles make it more likely those hassles get resolved, says David Almeida in the paper; he’s a professor at Penn State and senior author on the study.
Previous research by Almeida shows that minor daily stressors can affect health if they stack up.
Tackling stressors actively, like resolving an argument, helps emotions settle faster and prevents stress from lingering.
How Control Affects Stress
The researchers wanted to know if a sense of personal control, how much people feel they can influence challenges, affects whether stress gets resolved.
For example, if you believe you can fix a banking error, are you more likely to call the bank?
The team also looked at what affects this sense of control, including stress type, frequency and socioeconomic factors.
Tracking Stress Over Time
The study analyzed data from over 1,700 adults in the National Study of Daily Experiences, part of the long-running MIDUS survey.
For eight days, participants reported daily stressors and whether each stressor was resolved by the end of the day.
Stressors included arguments, work or home overload, and network stress from friends or family problems.
Participants also rated their sense of control over each stressor.
The same survey was repeated ten years later to track changes over time.
Control Levels Change Daily
Results showed that control is not a fixed trait. It changes from day to day.
On days when people felt more in control than usual, they were significantly more likely to resolve their stressors, no matter the type or intensity.
The connection grew stronger with age. Early on, a boost in control increased stress resolution by 61 percent. Ten years later, the same boost raised it to 65 percent.
As we get older, not only do we have more control, but it also helps us handle stress better, says the study.
How to Build a Sense of Control
The study suggests that perceived control is a powerful tool for reducing daily stress.
Practical strategies include focusing on what’s within reach, breaking big challenges into smaller steps, using lists or time blocking to track progress, asking for help or delegating tasks, and ending the day with a short reflection — and maybe some brief but intense exercise like a set of pushups followed by squat jumps.
In fact, regular and structured workouts, even brief, are a powerful tool for putting a damper on the way stress makes one feel, and it’s great for inciting a boosted feeling of control.
If you have a strong and durable body, sudden onslaughts of stressful occurrences won’t feel as overwhelming when compared to if you had a body that easily tires and doesn’t feel capable.
There are also apps that can help you manage stress and feel more in control.
These small wins can create momentum and make stress feel more manageable.
