You can also lead students through a visualisation in which the things they want to control that are out of their control are falling through their fingers. For example, if you have student whose parent is going on a work trip, think about getting the student to visualise the experience.

The student could visualise a car or a plane passing through their fingers. Help the student to create a narrative: “I cannot control my adult's trip. I cannot control when they leave or when they return. I CAN control my actions. I can choose to call or text them. I can choose to notice things that make me happy each day until they gets back. I can control my actions.”

Let students know that trying to hold on to something tightly in their hands that is truly outside of their control can leave them feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

It’s hard to hold on to something that we have no control over!

Visualising themselves opening their grasp and releasing whatever that thing is, can be a powerful way to relinquish that tension and focus on the things “at hand” or the things that are truly within their control.