How to Cope with Uncertainty

The last several years can best be summarized by chaos and a lot of uncertainty. On a global scale, the amount of change, loss, grief, trauma, and conflict has been high. It can feel hard to know how to handle it. It is so much bigger than us, feels very out of control, and largely is out of our control. Let's talk about how to navigate it.

Start a News Diet

There is a fine line between staying informed and sending yourself into a tizzy tracking the news. I often recommend a news diet. This involves setting an amount of time you want to engage with the news daily and sticking to it. There's a few ways to do this.

• Decide when, how, and for how long you want to engage with the news. Consider time of day- for example, right before bed may not be helpful if you are prone to anxiety interrupting sleep. Be sure your choices align with what works for you, and not what you want to work for you or to fit an image you want to project.

• Most phones have time limit software already baked in that will lock you out of an app when you've hit your time limit.

• Choose one or two newsletters/news round ups/podcasts to engage with, and unsubscribe from the others.

• Be aware of sneaky news sources, such as social media (where the news will be sensationalized for views).

• Engage with the news very intentionally. Don't have it on in the background, where it may be causing stress without you realizing it. Instead, intentionally engage and intentionally disengage when you are needing a break.

Practice Radical Acceptance

Radically acceptance means fully accepting the reality of a situation, even if it is painful and you do not like it. Overall it reduces your pain, as it brings you into the present moment and out of anxiety/depression. This is very important to note- acceptance does not mean approval. You can accept something is happening without being okay with it happening. By trying to deny or push away the reality, we end up hurting even more. The reality is that we can only control ourselves, our actions, and our reactions. Once you are able to accept the facts about a situation, you free up space to feel emotions about it, grieve it, and take action steps

Lean on Community

I saw a piece of art once that said, "Community is the most effective form of rebellion." It is so critical to be able to come together at a time that is increasingly pushing us to be polarized. When things are overwhelming, being able to rely on each other is critical. Lean into your community. Seek out new communities that you want to be a part of. The only way to get through big things is together.

Get Involved

Considering how much is out of our control, it is important to focus on what IS in our control. There's many ways to do this. If political involvement is something you enjoy, you can get involved in a local advocacy group or call your representatives. If that's not your jam, you can focus on work in your local community, such as volunteering, helping at a litter clean up, or helping plant trees in town. Focusing on other people and larger goals has been shown to help reduce depressive symptoms, and can be a way to feel like you are making an impact when things feel out of control.

Do Self-Care

Taking care of yourself is always important, and particularly important during periods of high stress. There's a million ways to do self-care so pick ones that really resonate with you. A few strategies for self-care:

• Make a self-care menu. Rate your favorite coping skills by how long they will take you, so you can pick what you’d like to use based on how much time you have.

• Make a routine! Research has shown that having a routine can give you a sense of control and order. Even a simple routine (like a 2-step morning routine of breathing and stretching) can make a difference.

• Schedule in self-care. When things are stressful, it is easy to let self-care go. Schedule it into your day like you would a meeting for work. Use the menu from above to pick things based on how much time you have.

• Keep a copy of your self-care plan on your phone or in your wallet, so you have skills to use on the go.

• It's important to remember that emotions are a lot more challenging to cope with when your physical needs aren’t met. When you’re feeling particularly overwhelmed, make sure you are fed, hydrated, well-rested, have moved your body that day, and gotten some fresh air.

Overall, take care of yourself, take care of each other, and take a deep breath.

Sending you lots of love, light, and peace.