Psychology Today

Having a sense of control matters for people’s health and well-being. Several classic studies demonstrated this point in nursing home residents. They showed that when residents were able to control parts of their daily life, such as when to have movie night or taking care of a plant in their room, they did better. Their physical and mental health improved, with benefits for how long and how well they lived. Further studies showed that people improved when they perceived they had control, even if the control was a matter of how they were thinking about the situation.