How to Deal with Uncertainty?
Poonam Yeole , A
Coach For Business Owners and Professionals.
Shares about how to deal with the uncertainty around COVID-19.
With this lockdown in place and the coronavirus wreaking havoc in the world, people are experiencing fear and a whole lot of uncertainty.Not only are we dealing with the fear of catching this virus and everything that comes with it but we are also worried about the future that might happen. From the way we conduct ourselves when we go outside to the way we take care of all the things we bring into our home so that we do not infect anyone. Some continue to work from home and some who have no work since their workplace shut down, some fearing joblessness, some fearing money loss as they are paying people who work for them. The stock prices are falling and companies shutting down. When you look at the news, we receive all kinds of information ranging from Anti-government news, pro-government opinions, to videos of people suffering from Covid 19, to poor people suffering because they don't have food to eat. The numbers of people dying are increasing and there seems to be no clue on when all of this is going to end. So much is Uncertain. This uncertainty brings with it fear, sadness, anxiety, stress and worry for now and our future. So how does one deal with this? To be honest ask yourself the question, when has there ever been a moment of certainty? Even when you thought something was certain, it was never certain till it actually happened. And then life gave us more uncertainty in the form of a close one’s death, cancer, recession, losing a job, never getting a promotion, not having customers, not getting the marks you wanted to get into your favoured college , not getting through an interview the way you wanted to, never feeling like you are worth it . We have been regularly dealing with all this.
We look for certainty in life and somewhere we believe that we have it but the uncertainty is lurking just underneath. We cover it up with our routines, our work, game and food addictions and watching TV series. No, I am not saying that we shouldn't do these other things but that’s how we deal with uncertainty. We bury ourselves in our routines. Somehow we may end up doing that even today.
But this is a very unique set of circumstances that we face. Life as we have known it has ended. We may have that Virus lurking in our midst and that will change the way we socially interact and how we live our lives, the businesses we do and how we do them, the jobs we take up and the skills we need to know learn to cope with this change.
It is the time to pause. Just stop everything you are doing .Look at life the way it really is. Without your own mental chatter about it, just be with it as it is. Don’t fight it. Be with it. There is no point resisting it, because no matter whether you like it or you don’t, the change has happened and will continue to happen. Change is the only constant. Take your time to accept this change. Take your mind off it for some time. Do your thing. Paint, play music, dance, read, sleep, connect with friends, speak to professionals who can help you. Pray.Take your time to calm down. Be with it all. Look at it just the way it is. Keep doing it. A time will come, when acceptance replace the other emotions. And as the acceptance begins to happen, you will become aware of what needs to be done now. You cannot see the whole of your future and that is also okay.No one has the answer. No One .But we are beings with life energy and an indomitable spirit. So no matter what happens, we will cope. We will figure it out. We will have the resilience to get through this. We don’t need to be strong or weak or any other way. All we need to do now is to Accept it just the way it is. Our worry for our loved one’s close or far away, worry for how all this is going to affect us personally and on humanity. Accept.
We are physically mortal but our soul is not. We are the life energy that pulsates in this universe. If it is our time to go, we will. If it is not the time, we will still be here. None of this is our hands. None of it ever was. None of the mayhem happening around the world is on our control. Our permission wasn’t taken while we born into this life, our permission won’t be taken when it is time to go .This is beyond us.
Yet, the only power we have is over ourselves. This is where the transformation takes place. ‘I am ‘ is where the power lies and where the shift takes place. The way I view my life and everything in it gives me my reactions, emotions, worry, peace. Here is where you can do the work. Leave aside your expectations from life and yourself. Look at what needs to be done and what role do you have in what needs to be doneConnect with yourself deeply. Ask yourself the important questions.
What do I want my life to be about? What is my calling?
What have I been ignoring about myself and why is it important for me to not ignore it anymore?
When we come out of this situation, how would I be, what would I be doing?
What would I have liked to learn?
What attitude would I have developed that helped me cope with the change?
How would I like to contribute ?
How would I like to develop myself?
What habits would I like to build that would support my journey?
What practices can I put in place now that will help me build all of the above?Listen to yourself, Trust yourself.