Pilates Self-Care Saturday: Control What You Can.

An older woman pauses in a bathroom, meeting her reflection with calm focus.

It is amazing we are already halfway through January. The month feels fast and slow at the same time. If you are anything like me, you have been busy. Teaching, planning, moving from one thing to the next. Somewhere along the way, a cold or winter bug probably joined the party. January often feels like stepping straight onto a hamster wheel as the year starts rolling, with very little space to ease yourself in.

At the beginning of the year, many of us promise ourselves we will slow down, look after ourselves better, and stay calmer. Then reality arrives. Every day throws a constant stream of demands, interruptions, and expectations at us. Some of them are pleasant. Many are not.

The key issue is not what turns up, but recognising how much of it sits outside your control. You do not control other people’s opinions, their behaviour, how they speak to you, or how they feel. You do not control the past, time, ageing, or the wider events happening around you. Trying to manage any of that drains energy and keeps the body in a low-grade state of tension.

From a Pilates perspective, this shows up quickly. Shoulders creep up, breathing becomes shallow, and the body starts bracing instead of moving with ease. This is where self-care becomes less about bubble baths and more about intelligent choices. While you cannot control what arrives in your day, you do control how you respond to it. Your self talk, your attitude, your boundaries, and the way you manage your energy all sit firmly in your hands.

You choose how you speak, how you treat others, and who you give your time to. You also choose whether you acknowledge emotions and process them, or ignore them and let them leak into your body as tension.

Pilates teaches awareness before effort. Life works the same way. When something unexpected or unwelcome appears, pause before reacting. Take a breath. Notice what tightens. Then respond with intention rather than habit. This shift alone reduces stress and supports better movement, posture, and clarity.

This Self-Care Saturday, notice what you are holding on to that was never yours to control. Let it go. Bring your attention back to what you influence directly. When you do that, both your Pilates practice and your daily life start to feel lighter, steadier, and more balanced.