"Life is too short. I can't control everything in my life. Trying to is exhausting!!" - member of MyHeartDiseaseTeam

When first faced with a heart disease diagnosis, a common fear is a lack of control over our health. How could our bodies betray us? How do we grab the reins back and fix the situation? Living with heart disease forces us to recognize what we can and cannot control.

Members on MyHeartDiseaseTeam have various strategies for letting go of control and fear, including:

1. Using guided imagery to visualize letting go
2. Opening up and trusting others
3. Organizing or cleaning the house
4. Reaching out for support from other members on MyHeartDiseaseTeam

Here are some conversations on MyHeartDiseaseTeam about letting go:

• "The hardest thing for me was learning that same thing. Resting when needed. For a long time I was trying to fight against my body, instead of working with it. One day I just realized how hard my body was fighting for me, so why was I fighting so hard against it? It is doing everything it can for me and it's even sending me warning signals."
• "A thought for today: count our blessings, practice kindness, let go of what we can't control, listen to our heart, be productive yet calm, just breathe!"
• "This is a helpful diagram of what is your responsibility and what is not. Let go of those you can't control. Believe me, I know it is hard to do."

Have you had moments of letting go just when you needed it most? What helps you 'let go' of things out of your control? Share in the comments below or directly on MyHeartDiseaseTeam.com.