Three concentric circles — control, influence, neither
Take the worries swirling this week and sort them. Most anxiety lives in the outer ring — where attention is the only thing being spent. Reclaim it.
My actions, my words, my choices.
Worth one ask, one try, no guarantee.
Others' opinions, the past, the weather.
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The Circle of Control is a deceptively simple intervention with deep roots — it shows up in Stoic philosophy, in Stephen Covey's Circle of Concern/Influence, and in modern CBT and ACT work with generalized anxiety. The principle: most anxiety doesn't spend its energy on the things we can do something about. It spends most of it in the outer ring — others' choices, the past, the news cycle, hypothetical futures — where attention is the only resource being burned. The intervention is to make the rings literal. Take this week's worries, sort each one into 'I control', 'I can influence', or 'neither', and then redirect attention proportionally. Worries that land in 'control' become action items. Worries in 'influence' get one ask or one try. Worries in 'neither' get named, grieved, and released — not solved. The page itself does most of the cognitive work; the conversation in session is about what the client notices when they see where their attention has actually been living.
Five minutes, no editing. List everything that's been chewing on attention this week.
Each worry goes in exactly one ring. If a client argues about placement, that's often where the work is.
Each 'I control' worry becomes one concrete action this week. No action = it wasn't really in your control.
Pick one 'I can influence' worry and define the single ask or try. Then let outcome go.
Name out loud what's in 'neither.' Acknowledgment, not solving. Many clients have never said these things out loud.
Stoic philosophy (Epictetus's dichotomy of control), updated by Stephen Covey as Circle of Concern vs. Circle of Influence in 'The 7 Habits.' Modern CBT and ACT versions add a third ring (influence) between control and not-control.
Essentially yes — 'accept what I cannot change, change what I can, wisdom to know the difference' is the same dichotomy. The worksheet operationalizes the prayer with a third middle ring for things we can influence but not control.
Common in depression and chronic illness. Start very small — you can usually control breath, posture, what's in your hands, the next 60 seconds. Those count. The point isn't a long list; it's any list.
It's a gateway exercise. Sorting makes the difference visible. ACT's acceptance work is what happens with the items in the 'neither' ring — willingness to feel the discomfort without trying to solve it.
Worksheet — Circle of Control — provided by TherapistAssist for clinical use. Not a substitute for assessment or treatment.