How to Face Uncertainty

Life moves fast. Days fly by. Weeks fly by. It seems like I’m turning the pages in the calendar on the wall faster than the pages in the book I’m reading.

So many things are changing, especially in this pandemic. And they change fast. Today, this is the way things are done, and tomorrow it’s not the way things are done.

Besides the pandemic, our daily lives change. Relationships change. Routines change. Seasons change. Jobs that start. Jobs that finish. We don’t always know when the changes will happen and we don’t always know how the changes will impact us.

This can be…scary.

When I focus too much of my attention on the future and the uncertainty that it holds, if I’m not careful, I can find myself having a full-out anxiety attack! My thoughts go from “How will this work out?”, to “Will this work out?”, to “I don’t see this working out!” Ending in hyperventilation, racing heart, and sweating.

What just happened? How did I go from being ok one moment, to losing my sh…composure the next?

Here’s what happened: my attention left the present moment and entered the future. I was no longer living in the present, but living in the future.

The future is unknown. It is always uncertain. If the future was certain, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience the renewing emotion of faith. Because the opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty.

So what is there to do in the face of uncertainty?

1. Just handle this moment. This moment is enough. The coming moments will all get their turn, so take one moment at a time. If you find yourself too far in the future, or find yourself filled with “what if…” worst case scenarios, bring yourself back to the present moment. Remind yourself that the best you can do is to do your best in this present moment.
2. Practice the renewing emotion of faith. Everything happens for a reason. It’s just that sometimes our minds and perceptions are too narrow to always see those reasons. Everything is a piece of the big cosmic puzzle and has its place in the unfolding of life. Faith is the feeling that comes when we “know” this to be true and when we rest in that knowing. (This feeling not only feels good but also helps you “recharge your inner battery”, making you more resilient.) Faith isn’t something you think, it is something you “know”, “feel”, and “experience”. Try these steps to practice faith:
1. Breathe slow and deep.
2. Drop all the mental energy from your head into your heart.
3. Rest in the knowing that everything is working out the way it should be, even if it is uncomfortable for you.

Is uncertainty overwhelming you? Get some private coaching, here.

Here’s to conquering stress.

With heart,

The Stress Experts