Focus on What Is Within Your Control? A "Balance" Intervention in Coping with Stress

How do people cope with stressors? One common approach is to focus on the aspects of a stressful situation that may be controlled. However, initial studies from our lab show that people report less stress from COVID-19 when they consider the balance between what they can and cannot control rather than focusing only on what they can control. Given how unusual the COVID-19 context is, the current research examines whether a "balance" intervention can be effective for coping with other stressors. We also investigate potential behavioral effects (i.e., improving performance and motivating behaviors) of this intervention. Across two studies (N = 1,797), we find preliminary, directional evidence suggesting that a "balance" intervention can reduce emotional distress in taxing situations other than COVID-19. Whereas previous research highlights the importance of increasing one's sense of control and the benefits of focusing exclusively on controllable aspects of otherwise stressful events, we find that simultaneously drawing attention to the uncontrollable aspects can be more effective in alleviating distress. Thus, we provide a low-cost and available self-help intervention for people in need of an effective coping strategy to deal with emotional distress.