How to Cope in Uncertain Times
April 11, 2020 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Imagine if you thought you couldn’t get enough food
Imagine if you thought the people around you could kill you
Imagine if you were told to isolate
Welcome to the world of CVID-19 – no need to imagine
Our ability to cope with uncertainty is a marker of positive mental health. It is also a highly protective ability in times like those we are facing know. It is important for each of us that we foster and develop this ability and learn how to cope in uncertain times.
For many people, the uncertainty surrounding coronavirus is the hardest thing to handle. We don’t know how exactly we’ll be impacted, or how bad things might get. In that environment it is easy to catastrophize and spiral out into overwhelming dread and panic.
Why is uncertainty problematic
Not knowing is an uncomfortable experience. As human beings, we are naturally curious. We seek to understand, predict and control – it helps us learn and it keeps us safe. Uncertainty can feel dangerous because we cannot predict with complete confidence what will happen.
Intolerance of Uncertainty
From a mental health perspective intolerance of uncertainty is defined as trait like tendency to have negative beliefs about uncertainty, and what it might mean to us. Evolutionary, it was protective as it enabled us to decide very quickly whether to fight or run. In our modern world much less so as there are many unknowns. They relate less to our basic survival and often we don’t have control over these unknowns. Intolerance of uncertainty can be considered to be on a scale. Higher ratings are associated with many mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.
On a practical level increased intolerance of uncertainty results in a tendency to respond negatively in the following domains:
Emotional – sad, anxious, no pleasure, angry
Cognitive – rumination, worry, catastropic thinking
Behavioural – withdrawal, unhealthy coping strategies such as addictions
Coping strategies
The strategies below can help you not only to cope better in the coronavirus world, but also to build your capacity beyond this to cope better and have a better quality of life.
Mindfulness to become aware of negative thought patterns associated with uncertainty, and to disconnect from them and not engage with them.
Slow / Deep Breathing as a way of connecting with our body and hence disconnecting form negative future thoughts and to regulate strong emotions.
Staying Present in simple ways by noticing what is happening in our current surroundings. What is the weather like, what is in my space, noticing colours, sounds, textures etc. This can help to avoid the future thinking associated with anxiety.
Focus on the Things You Can Control as a way of regaining a sense of personal power and control. Maybe re-organising your work space, bedroom or other home spaces. Working in the backyard if you have one.
Set Goals and Progress Them to avoid losing your sense of purpose. Maybe learning something on-line, gaining a new skill such as learning a musical instrument, or set exercise or diet goals where possible.
Stay Connected in Creative ways. Utilise online technologies that allow us to share what is going on for us with those that we can’t be physically close to at the moment. You can have a coffee or eat a meal on video-conference with someone you can’t physically connect with at the moment. If you are technology savvy you can even watch a movie together and chat about it. Be creative!!
In finishing
I encourage you to become aware of your responses to uncertain times such as those that exist now. Once you are aware, you can then try one of the strategies above that resonate with you. Developing your tolerance of uncertainty will be protective of your mental health and increase your quality of life.
Stay safe
Scott
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