When you can not control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening. That’s where your power is.
Resilience Building to Deal with Uncertainty
Be in tune. This is time to be in tune with ourselves and others. Stay connected (even in physical isolation) with others and nature.
Don’t pretend there is no problem. It is all about taking responsibility. Follow the hygiene guidelines as suggested and be considered for others. Consider the risk for vulnerable groups and isolate self from physical contact. Most importantly protect yourself by eliminating risk. Be prepared, not panicked.
Radical acceptance. Accepting the reality as it is letting ourselves to face the discomfort and pain. Instead of dwelling accepting the importance of letting go.
Ambiguity and unknown upsets us. Be mindful of the information flow in the search for looking for the certainty – remember media thrives on uncertainty to create interest for their stories. Limit your access to media and use reliable resources for information.
- Uncertainty sends us to survival mode but this is the time to thrive to feel strong and to be resilient to combat.
- When faced with a threat or stressful situation our brain switches to fight-flight response – Survival mode. In this mode, our judgment may be obscured not be able to make good decisions.
- Be aware of the hypothetical and justified worry (there is a possibility of being in danger versus the immediate threat)
- When we are under the influence of our perception of hypothetical threat, we may oversimplify or overreact to situations.
Resilience Building: Mind and Body Connection
Risk Manage: Plan ahead and avoid unnecessary risks
Self Care: Sleep, eat, drink, move, feel the sun and fresh air on your skin and be kind and compassionate to self and others. You can protect your mental health with remember being kind to others benefits us. Be connected with others.
Express Emotions: Share your stress and anxiety and feelings with friends or partner. Be aware of your body sensations and be in tune with your body for emotional clues.
Self Soothe: It is important to alter difficult emotions by self-soothing when we cannot change the situations causing such emotions.
Engage Your 5 Senses: Go for walks, light up a candle, eat something delicious, pet your animal or enjoy the soothing water taking shower, and listen to calming music of your choice.
Be Mindful and Meditate: To be able to move from doing mind to being mind. Be compassionate and kind to self and others.
Gratitude: When we are not able to maintain our daily routines outside, the window for gratitude opens. Practice gratitude for the things you consider insignificant but you don’t have the opportunity to do it now, like a small talk that you engage with your friends on a sunny day outside or being able to commute to your work without the need to check your every move for contamination.
Change Perspective: After you face and accept the discomfort and pain, you can change your perspective and use your time to revise your expectations, goals and meaning in your life.
Generate Hope: for the future and good things to come, let yourself to dream about new possibilities in your life.
A.Meltem Üstündağ Budak, Psychologist
To deal with uncertainty of life, you can check our mindful living programs.
