10 ways to keep things in perspective

Liz Makin Author

May 05, 2026 |

Here are some ideas that you may want to try when you are struggling to keep things in perspective.

10 ways to keep things in perspective

It can be very difficult to keep things in perspective in your life and at work, so here are 10 ways in which you can keep things in perspective:

1. Reflect on what is going well. When you get something out of perspective, you can be totally distracted by it. Step back from the situation and consider what is going well, what you have achieved and how much you have progressed. This will help you see the overall picture and gain perspective.

2. Set boundaries around your thoughts. Where you are getting things out of perspective consider the worse case scenario to set boundaries around your thoughts. Also think about the best case outcome, so you can start taking action to achieve this.

3. Look for the learning. When you are getting things out of perspective, try and look at the situation as a learning opportunity. You can then use this learning going forward so you are better prepared next time. 

4. Consider similar situations in the past. Consider how you dealt with similar situations in the past and what you can bring forward to the current situation. Use this knowledge and experience to get things into perspective.

5. Look at the statistics differently. If you have a customer issue at work it is easy to think that all your customers are unhappy. Look at the statistics differently and maybe only 0.5% of your customers are unhappy and 99.5% of your customers are happy. If you look at the situation like this you can get things into perspective.

6. Calm down and relax. When you are getting things out of perspective, you can find yourself getting anxious and panicky. This will make everything seem worse. Breathe deeply, calm down and relax. This will then enable you to get things into perspective and decide what to do next.

7. Be rational. When things are out of perspective, it can be very difficult to decide what to do. Think rationally about the next steps. It may be helpful to ask someone else for their opinion or consider how a third party would think rationally about what to do next. 

8. Focus on the big picture. Consider what is really important to you. Focus on what matters and the big picture. You can then consider the current situation against this backdrop.

9. Plan, prioritise and take action. When you are losing perspective, step back, plan what you need to do, set priorities and take action to move forward. Once you know what you need to do and start taking action, things will feel much more in perspective.

10. Ask for help and support. It is very challenging to deal with something that is getting out of perspective on your own. Ask for help and support from a contact, colleague, a trusted adviser, a family member or a friend. This will help you get things into perspective.

What are you going to do to get things in perspective?

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