Ever feel like life is moving faster than you can keep up?

As we get older, it’s easy to think that feeling out of control is just part of the deal. But that’s not entirely true.

The reality is, some of our daily habits might be making things harder than they need to be.

Small choices—things we barely notice—can add to the sense of overwhelm. The good news? Letting go of certain habits can help you regain a sense of control and make life feel a little more manageable.

If you’re ready to take back the reins, here are seven daily habits worth saying goodbye to.

1) Starting your day without a plan

Ever wake up and immediately feel like you’re playing catch-up?

When you don’t have a plan for the day, it’s easy to get swept up in distractions, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and unproductive.

That doesn’t mean you need to schedule every minute. But having a simple plan—a few key tasks or priorities—can give your day more structure and direction.

A little planning in the morning (or even the night before) can help you feel more in control, instead of just reacting to whatever comes your way.

2) Saying “yes” to everything

For the longest time, I thought saying “yes” to every request made me a good friend, a reliable coworker, and an all-around decent person.

But in reality, it just left me exhausted and stretched too thin. I’d agree to things I didn’t have time for, then feel overwhelmed and frustrated—mostly at myself.

It took me a while to realize that every time I said “yes” to something I didn’t really want or need to do, I was saying “no” to my own priorities.

Setting boundaries isn’t selfish—it’s necessary. The more intentional I became with my time, the more in control of my life I felt.

3) Avoiding the hard things

I used to put off difficult conversations, delay decisions, and ignore problems, hoping they’d somehow resolve themselves. Spoiler: they never did.

Instead, they piled up. The longer I avoided them, the heavier they became.

The uncomfortable truth is that the things we run from don’t disappear—they wait. And the longer we wait, the more control we lose.

Facing things head-on isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it. The moment I stopped avoiding what needed to be done, life felt a little lighter—and I felt more in charge of it.

4) Letting your phone control you

Ever pick up your phone for “just a second” and suddenly realize 30 minutes have disappeared?

I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit. A quick scroll turns into a deep dive, and before I know it, my focus is gone, my to-do list is untouched, and I feel more drained than before.

Technology is great, but when my phone started dictating how I spent my time, I knew something had to change.

Setting boundaries—like turning off non-essential notifications or having phone-free hours—helped me take back control. Instead of reacting to every buzz and ping, I finally had space to focus on what actually mattered.

5) Not getting enough sleep

For years, I told myself I could function just fine on five or six hours of sleep. Coffee would fix it.

But the truth is, sleep deprivation doesn’t just make you tired—it messes with your ability to think clearly, make decisions, and even regulate emotions. In fact, research has shown that after just one night of poor sleep, your brain reacts to stress the same way it would if you hadn’t slept at all.

No wonder I always felt like life was slipping out of my hands.

Prioritizing sleep wasn’t easy at first, but once I did, everything started feeling more manageable. Turns out, being well-rested is one of the simplest ways to feel more in control.

6) Being too hard on yourself

It’s easy to replay mistakes in your head, dwell on what you should have done differently, or compare yourself to others who seem to have it all figured out.

But the truth is, no one has it all figured out. We’re all just doing our best with what we know at the time.

Beating yourself up won’t change the past—it just makes the present harder. The more I learned to treat myself with the same patience and understanding I’d offer a friend, the more in control I felt.

Progress isn’t about being perfect; it’s about moving forward, even if it’s one small step at a time.

7) Waiting for the “right” time

I used to tell myself I’d start once I felt ready—once I had more time, more confidence, more certainty.

But that perfect moment never came. And in the meantime, life kept moving.

The truth is, waiting doesn’t give you more control—it takes it away. The only way to create change is to start, even if it’s messy, even if it’s uncomfortable.

There is no perfect time. There’s just now.

The bottom line

Feeling in control of your life isn’t about having everything perfectly planned or never facing challenges. It’s about the small, daily choices that shape your mindset and habits.

Letting go of what no longer serves you—whether it’s saying “yes” too often, avoiding hard things, or waiting for the perfect moment—creates space for what truly matters.

Change doesn’t happen overnight. But every time you choose intention over autopilot, you take back a little more control.

Start where you are. Do what you can. The life you want isn’t waiting for the right time—it’s waiting for you to take the first step.