How has your life been impacted by the disruptive changes and upheavals in our world? How have you dealt with so much uncertainty?
Have you experienced excessive anxiety, fear, worry or panic? You haven’t been alone.
For many people, work life changed, social life declined, family life became disordered, and both mental and physical health suffered.
You’ve probably felt frustrated, angry, overwhelmed, disconnected, stressed, depressed, helpless or powerless–the words of some of my clients in the last couple of years, and a few words of my own.
I hope you haven’t experienced grief or loss, but I know that is quite possible.
Maybe things have settled down for you, you’re eating and sleeping normally again and you’re back in focus.
Or….maybe you’ve become more irritable, withdrawn, skeptical, confused or hyper-concerned about your health and the health of others.
All valid responses.
With such uncertainty and unpredictableness on a global level, how do you think you should behave? A rug was pulled out from under you; your life and probably your worldview were toppled.
No doubt, uncertainty causes stress. How do you plan for the future? How do you attempt to control the unexpected? What do you avoid? How can you become more certain?
These questions have no definite answers besides this:
You can only better manage yourself and strengthen your abilities to accept uncertainty and cope with distress.
Here are some suggestions to help:
18 Ideas to Cope with Stress and Uncertainty
1. Be kind to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up if you’ve had difficulty coping in the past or wish you handled some uncertainty more reasonably. Offer yourself patience, hope and allowance. We all freak out sometimes.
2. Don’t let fear lead you to make assumptions. When fears creep up, breathe in and out slowly, return to the present moment, and focus on something real that’s right in front of you. Touch something, stare at something, step outside and listen for birds; see what needs to be done around you, what could use your attention, or what would make you feel more productive or at ease.
3. Take a break from news and social media, which can destroy your peace of mind and trigger worry. You know chaos abounds. If you continuously follow what’s magnified in news and social media, your hyper-focus might make you feel like your fears will come true. Try checking in only once per day, or at least avoid it one day each week. Doing BOTH might really aleviate some stress for you.
4. Examine your distressing thoughts. Sometimes problems can seem like catastrophes. To stop the whirlwind of fearful thinking, take a moment to regroup. Notice when your mind begins to focus on bad things happening and ask yourself these questions: (You might want to keep an ongoing journal for this.)
- How bad is this problem likely to be? As terrible as I fear?
- What evidence do I have to support that?
- What evidence disputes that?
- Will it be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me?
- Is it something I’ll never recover from?
- Is it a situation I could live through and manage?
- What can I control or do about this situation?
5. Consider a different perspective. If a friend or family member came to you with such a concern, what would you say? Take your own advice.
6. Cultivate optimism. Try to reframe your thoughts and focus on the positive. This doesn’t mean to change your name to Pollyanna. Look for evidence that things could come out better than you think.
7. Imagine yourself coping successfully. Bad things do happen, but imagine yourself handling them. In the past, you found ways to handle challenges. When worry strikes, recall the strength you’ve shown in the past. Expect that you will be resourceful, and imagine yourself overcoming.
8. Release physical tension. Stress and worry can lead to muscle knots and strains in your shoulders, neck, or back. You might feel stomach tightness or other aches and pains. When you notice you’re holding tension in your body, try this quick breathing exercise:
- Inhale for a count of four shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears, hold for a count of four, and as you exhale for a count of eight let your shoulders relax and drop, completely letting go of tension. Repeat until you feel more relaxed.
9. Ground yourself with mindfulness practices. Use the simple strategies in this post: “Laid-back Mindfulness and Meditation: Informal Strategies to Quiet Your Mind and Calm Your Body”.
10. Practice acceptance and meeting life as it is. Trying to predict what will happen can lead to worry AND a false sense of responsibility. You don’t have to figure everything out right now. Instead, accept the uncertainty. (#11 will help!)
11. Lean on your faith to find peace. Whether you believe in God, another higher power, or your own higher power, lean into that faith. Believe in yourself and your capabilities, and believe that your God or other higher power is there and will be there for you. Find peace knowing that nothing is guaranteed, and all will be OK.
12. Connect with loved ones. Inquire about their needs and express yours. Explore ways that you could help to meet one another’s needs.
13. Focus on what you can control. Ask yourself, “What’s within my power?” If you’ve done all you can, or the answer is “nothing,” focus on something you CAN control. You can plan simple meals for the week, do things to take care of yourself and your family, or establish routines to give your days structure.
14. Increase your well-being by starting a gratitude journal. Each morning, write down three things for which you are grateful. Even if you write the same three things each time this daily practice can be very effective. Take this a step further and send a brief note of appreciation to someone. This can also be part of a meditation or mindfulness practice, and you can send positive vibes and energy to others.
15. Get some physical activity throughout the day. A brisk 10-minute walk, some dynamic stretching, or a short bodyweight workout can help you feel energized and productive. Squeeze in movement at any opportunity of the day to give yourself a physical outlet for pent up stress. Opt for the stairs, a walk-and-talk meeting, computer work at a standing desk, etc.
16. Increase your confidence. Build skills that can help you tackle life’s challenges. Try things outside your comfort zone. Experiment with your capabilities. Take classes and take risks.
17. Prioritize self-care. Each day try to eat well and get enough sleep and some movement. Make time for activities for stress release, such as yoga or meditation. Remember and do what makes you feel good and healthy. If you need some help with prioritizing self-care, or starting a self-care journey, you’ll get a great start with my online mini-course, RENEW.
18. Seek support. Isolating yourself when you are stressed or worried can keep you stuck. Social support (and professional support) can help you cope, so reach out.
Which ideas do you think might be helpful for YOU to manage and accept uncertainty or reduce associated stress? Write these down along with other ideas you think of.
You might find it helpful to use a journal for a couple of weeks to keep track of your daily stress triggers, management or relief techniques you use, and how effective your actions are. You can dial in on what strategies effectively help you reduce stress and which ones help you feel better quickly when worry and anxiety strikes.
I hope you feel better equipped to manage stress that comes with uncertainty.
If you need more help, feel free to reach out. Leave a comment or send me an email, and I will respond with the best help I can offer.
You might also like to read:
Setting ANCHOR: A Method to Manage Reactivity and Mindset in the Midst of Chaos and Uncertainty
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