How To Deal With Uncertainty – Life is full of twists, turns, ups, and downs and we rarely have control so it can feel like riding that rollercoaster. Some people thrive on the excitement and some of us struggle with how to deal with the uncertainty. Life at the moment is changing hour by hour and day by day. Over the past few weeks, I too have been on this rollercoaster worrying about my family, health, and businesses.
There has been a lot of speculation and fake news which has increased people’s fears and anxieties.
It is very easy to soak up all the panic and fear that is spreading, from empty shops, unemployment, closing schools, and an overloaded NHS to name a few! It can be incredibly hard to make decisions for the future when we don’t know what is happening next and services, businesses, and helplines are overwhelmed.
We can lose focus on our own coping strategies and mechanisms for adapting to change. It can be very easy for us to focus on everything that is going wrong and catastrophize our situation especially when we are uncertain of our finances, job security and health (see how I just reminded you of it all and instantly our minds start to creating anxiety and stress).
So how are you managing the roller coaster ride of emotions that we are experiencing? Are you struggling to keep up or taking it all in your stride?
Here are some tips and suggestions for how to deal with uncertainty:
- Think about what you are actually in control of at this time. Look for things you can do. Could you look at your finances, sort out the paperwork or a particular room?
- Focus on one thing at a time, anxiety and stress can come from trying to do or thinking about too many things at once.
Start with the easiest or smallest thing first and remember to acknowledge or congratulate yourself for each thing you accomplish. - Take regular breaks if you need to, it can be difficult to concentrate when your environment is different from your norm. You may have to adapt your routine around the family so entertaining the children during the day and working at night once they are in bed or otherwise occupied.
- Explain to children what you have to do and try and get them involved if possible by giving them a job to do.
- Try to keep in touch with people either by calling, text or video. It won’t be the same as your usual personal relationships but recognizing other people are in the same position and maintaining the connections we have are important.
- Try to keep a routine, if you get up for work at 7.00 am stick to that, if you workout in the evening then try and do a home workout around the same time etc.
Remember to do the basics of eating as healthily as you can, drinking enough water, exercising and keep your sleep routine as normal as possible. It can be easy to slip into bad habits like snacking or staying up later. - If you want to know what is happening look on reputable factual websites like the government or NHS site, try to limit your time on social media and your exposure to fake news or sensationalized headlines.
- REMEMBER this won’t last, the situation is only temporary and things will return to normal.
Please remember to follow the government and NHS advice on keeping yourself, your family and everyone else safe and reducing the risk for everyone.
If you have any symptoms of the coronavirus then please follow medical advice and see the right support and information.
I hope these tips help you in some way and if you need extra support, there are services that are available during this time. We are offering online, video and telephone support to enable people to have the support and encouragement they need.