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Decision & Control - Under Control

Discover how English idioms like "mind over matter" and "keep a level head" relate to being under control in English.

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English idioms related to Decision & Control
to [get] {one's} act together
to get one's act together
[phrase]

to start to organize oneself for better results and more efficiency

Ex: If he wants to keep this job, he needs to get his act together. 
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to [pull] {oneself} together
to pull oneself together
[phrase]

to regain control over one's emotions, particularly after a period of being upset or angry

Ex: She took a deep breath to pull herself together after the argument. 
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to [get] a hold of {oneself}
to get a hold of oneself
[phrase]

to force oneself to stop behaving in an uncontrollable manner, particularly in face of a difficult or unexpected situation

Ex: When the alarm went off, she panicked for a second, then got a hold of herself. 
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to [get] {one's} shit together
to get one's shit together
[phrase]

to start to act more organized in order to achieve better results and become more skillful or efficient

Ex: He needs to get his shit together if he wants to keep this job. 
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to [bite|hold] {one's} tongue
to bite one's tongue
[phrase]

to not say something, against one's wish, in order to avoid causing an argument or upsetting someone

Ex: I had to bite my tongue when he blamed me for his own mistake. 
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[get|have] {one's} ducks in a row
get one's ducks in a row
[sentence]

to get everything in order for something that is about to happen or one is going to do, particularly in order to avoid mistakes

Ex: Before we sign the contract, let's get our ducks in a row. 
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to [button|zip] {one's} [lip]
to button one's lip
[phrase]

to not say anything or immediately stop talking, particularly so as not to reveal a secret or make matters worse

Ex: Zip your lip before you make things worse. 
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in hand
in hand
[phrase]

(of a situation) completely under one's control

Ex: Don't worry, the situation is in hand. 
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out of {one's} [system]
out of one's system
[phrase]

no longer desiring something or feeling strong emotions about someone

Ex: After traveling for a year, he finally got the urge to wander out of his system. 
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to [keep] a lid on {sth}
to keep a lid on something
[phrase]

to control a situation and stop it from getting worse

Ex: The manager tried to keep a lid on the conflict before customers noticed. 
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to [clean] up {one's} act
to clean up one's act
[phrase]

to make an effort to demonstrate a better behavior and treat others better

Ex: If you want to keep your job, you need to clean up your act. 
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a straight face
a straight face
[noun]

one's face when it is devoid of any signs of amusement, interest, or even sadness

Ex: He told the ridiculous story with a straight face. 
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to [pour] oil on troubled waters
to pour oil on troubled waters
[phrase]

to calm a tense situation with gentle or diplomatic action

Ex: The teacher poured oil on troubled waters by listening to both students calmly. 
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to [take] {sth} in stride
to take something in stride
[phrase]

to calmly cope with something that is difficult or disturbing

Ex: She took the bad news in stride and started looking for a solution. 
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to [keep] {sth} in proportion
to keep something in proportion
[phrase]

to sensibly react to something and not treat it as if it is more serious, severe, or important than it actually is

Ex: Let's keep this in proportion; one mistake doesn't mean the whole project has failed. 
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to [keep] a level head
to keep a level head
[phrase]

to stay calm and sensible in a stressful or difficult situation

Ex: We need to keep a level head and decide what to do next. 
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to [collect] {one's} thoughts
to collect one's thoughts
[phrase]

to get one's thoughts or feelings under control, particularly after experiencing something shocking or disturbing

Ex: After hearing the shocking news, she needed a moment to collect her thoughts. 
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mind over matter
mind over matter
[phrase]

the willpower to overcome one's problems or control one's physical condition

Ex: During the marathon, it was mind over matter after the twentieth mile. 
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to [keep] {one's} cool
to keep one's cool
[phrase]

to stay calm and not show anger, fear, or excitement, especially in a difficult situation

Ex: She kept her cool during the interview. 
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to [keep] a steady hand on the wheel
to keep a steady hand on the wheel
[phrase]

to stay calm and in control while leading through difficulty

Ex: The director kept a steady hand on the wheel during the crisis. 
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to [get] out of {one's} own head
to get out of one's own head
[phrase]

to stop focusing too much on one's own thoughts or worries

Ex: He needed to get out of his own head before the match. 
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to [clear] {one's} head
to clear one's head
[phrase]

to calm one's thoughts and think more clearly

Ex: She took a walk to clear her head. 
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to [get] a grip
to get a grip
[phrase]

to control one's emotions and think more clearly

Ex: He needed to get a grip before answering the question. 
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to [get] a grip on {oneself}
to get a grip on oneself
[phrase]

to stop behaving foolishly or recklessly and gain full control of one's emotions and thoughts

Ex: Get a grip on yourself before you say something you'll regret. 
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to [keep] {one's} [head]
to keep one's head
[phrase]

to stay calm and think clearly, especially in challenging or stressful situations

Ex: Even under pressure, she kept her head and made the right decision. 
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Decision & Control
Under ControlOut of ControlLosing ControlBeing in Charge
Force & ObligationObedienceChoices & DecisionsDecisiveness
IndecisivenessDependency
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