Coping with Uncertainty

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Everywhere I look, I see the same two descriptors for our current situation: unprecedented and uncertain. I think I have heard the former more times that I need to in my lifetime, and I am ready to let it have a rest. The latter word will be in our vocabulary for a while. There are many things about our current challenges that will remain unclear. No one can predict the future and know what the ultimate outcome of these events will be. It will continue to be uncertain.

There are ways to cope with this uncertainty. This article from the American Psychological Association provides a list of 10 tips. We will focus on these in more detail over the coming weeks, including strategies that you can use to put these to work for you.

The one that I find the most difficult, but also the most effective, is to avoid dwelling on the things we cannot control. It is much more helpful to focus our efforts on the things that we can control, like the personal choices we make. Things like what we eat, how much we sleep, how often we talk to friends or move our bodies. Even on the days where everything feels out of control, simply going through the motions of taking physical care of ourselves gives us a measure of control.

Take a moment to think about what areas of your life and current situation you CAN control. It can help you to make a list (think pro's and con's). Once you have your list. Fold the side with the things you can't control over and choose an activity from the CAN column to put some extra effort into today. Perhaps for you that is planning your meals, going for a walk, making a detailed task or to do list. Whatever it is, find that thing and commit to doing it today!


Comments

  1. UnknownApril 23, 2020 at 4:40 AM

    Words of wisdom this has put me everywhere in my thoughts.But when you slow down your thinking we can control more than we give ourselves credit.Thank you for taking the time to share .

    ReplyDelete

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