As human beings, we’re all prone to bouts of uncertainty. But, never has this
been more obvious than in recent months during the Coronavirus crisis.
Though it’s almost impossible to eliminate all uncertainty from our lives, we
can learn how to control it when it does arise.
Here are six simple but effective methods that you employ to take charge of
your life when you find events becoming a little overwhelming.
1. Understand Where Your Emotions Come From
When a period of uncertainty hits us, there’s a tendency to build it up to such epic proportions in our minds – so much so that we often forget what it was that started it in the first place.
For many, quickly locating that initial trigger point, and the thing that sets you off means, you can work to defeat it before it has time to take hold.
We can only work to control our thoughts and feelings and take charge when we know exactly what it is that we’re dealing with.
So, the first step is to identify precisely why you might be feeling this way.
Think about what has sparked your negativity and how it is currently affecting you.
By identifying the source of the problem straight away, you can then choose
whether you want to pay it any further attention or control it by nipping it in the bud before it has time to build.
2. Stop and Embrace Such Blips
When experiencing feelings of angst, many of us push them to one side and
ignore them, hoping they’ll simply disappear. Yet, often there are simply some feelings that we must embrace before we can move forward.
Many of us feel scared when we aren’t in control, but unless we accept and
understand that it’s all part of our natural reaction to times of stress, we’ll
never be able to deal with it when it does strike again.
Take the time to allow the feeling to simmer away and note how it affects you, slowly. Many negative emotions rear their head through persistent headaches or manifest as other physical pains in the body. But, if you can take the time to note the physical effects these negative thoughts have on your body and mind, you can further prepare yourselves to work on a coping mechanism the next time they strike, thus taking control of the situation.
3. Consider the Worst-Case Scenario
When you do begin to feel control slipping away from you, ask yourself what is the worst that can happen now?
A lot of us find ourselves losing control when we escalate things to be more
than they are. But, if you can look to the possible scenarios of what is the
worst that will happen when things go wrong – you go some way to regaining control of the situation.
In reality, more than likely, it’s not a life or death situation – rather one that
you can find a solution for. So, when the going gets tough, think realistically of what will happen afterward.
By asking such questions, you reduce the anxiety surrounding the situation
telling yourself that you are, in fact, able to cope and that whatever the
outcome, it is never as bad as what you initially think it will be.
4. Believe in Your Ability to Survive!
2020 has been the year of a great deal of stress for all of us. Yet, if we turn this into a positive, we can consider it the year we made it through!
We’ve had our world turned upside down, have been forced into isolation, and lived with the threat of an invisible, deadly virus; so, if you’ve made it through to the other end – you’re a survivor.
Therefore, when uncertainly arises from now on, stop and remind yourself that you managed to live through one of the toughest times the world has ever witnessed. Consequently, you have more control than you may have thought.
If there’s one thing that 2020 has highlighted, it’s how we can all get through
and that we are capable of enduring hardship.
Pat yourself on the back, knowing that you endured, no matter how hard at
times the obstacles were.
5. Find a Coping Mechanism
This can be as simple as breathing deeply, performing yoga, or taking yourself off to a particular spot. For some people, it can mean heading out to the garden to tend to their plants or just sitting quietly and reflecting on life.
This simply means looking for an effective way to calm yourself down before you apply yourself to the situation at hand.
Finding the tools early on to help you take control of things when you feel
you’re losing touch is vital. Such techniques can then be instantly applied each time things get a bit too much. Better still, your body and mind will soon come to associate these activities with relaxing.
As soon as that negativity hits, attempt a distraction technique that removes
you instantly from the situation. We often need to remove ourselves, regularly disconnecting, to regain a sense of control and, indeed, purpose.
6. Look to What’s Good in Your Life Right Now
In times of uncertainty, one coping mechanism we can all employ with success is to simply look to the good things in our life at this exact moment in time.
Who and what you have at your side, the roof over your head, food on the
table, family, friends, and a job to pay the bills – these are the things we often take for granted.
Yet, when you can identify what is good right now in your life, you’ll instantly feel more in charge of it as a result.
If 2020 has taught us anything worthwhile, it’s that we are all in these
situations together. We’re also all capable of getting through those challenging times – and that good times are indeed on the horizon.