Coping with Uncertainty
Dear Friends,
Have you been feeling more stressed and anxious lately? If so, you’re not alone.
We live in uncertain times, and our brains are wired to view uncertainty as a threat, which causes stress and anxiety.
Have you ever had the experience of worrying a lot about something that might happen, and then when it actually does happen, it’s not as bad as you feared?
That’s because, when there is a concrete situation to deal with, our brains calm down and get to work figuring out how to deal with the situation.
Just knowing what’s happening in our brains can help us cope with uncertainty, and research has shown some other simple strategies, such as:
Try not to doomscroll - you won’t find the certainty your brain is craving by looking at media, likely you’ll just feel more uncertain and anxious.
Schedule ten minutes a day to worry. Write down everything you’re worried about. During the rest of the day, when your brain wants to loop back to worrying, reassure it that you will really listen to all its concerns during your ten-minute worry appointment.
Our brains are wired to always fear the worst that could happen. To help retrain your brain to the reality that, in any situation, there are many possible outcomes, write:
What is the worst thing that could happen?
What is a neutral scenario that could happen?
What is a possible best case scenario?
Make a resilience list. Write down the challenges you’ve faced in your life, and remind yourself that you survived them or you wouldn’t be here!
Bring yourself back to the present moment. Experiment and find a simple tool that works for you, such as breathe into your heart, feel your feet, look at the four walls around you or something in nature. Whatever helps to remind yourself that, in this moment, you are okay.
The more we can help our brains deal with uncertainty, the more calm and present we can be, and the more equipped we are to deal with whatever actual challenges do come for ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities.
Sending much love,
Liz
