Times Of Uncertainty

During times of uncertainty it’s easy to get caught up in a cycle of fear and doubt. This is completely understandable as you may have real and serious concerns like how will you pay your rent, mortgage, utilities or even buy food. Once you get caught in this cycle and let fear drive your thought process it will be even harder to come up with solutions and ultimately get you back on your feet. Below are some things that I think can help and what I am currently practicing.

Process The Situation

When something unexpected occurs it can be a shock to the system. The more dramatic the occurrence (like a sudden loss of your job) the greater the shock. I think it’s natural human behavior to react emotionally and that’s ok. You might go through a slew of emotions like anger, sadness and fear. Spend some time venting, complaining and worrying. But don’t spend too much time in this phase. The longer you’re here the harder it will be to move to the next step in the process. Eventually you need to get to a place of acceptance. Once you accept the hand you were dealt you can move on to the problem solving phases.

Address Your Immediate Needs

Once you have made it through the mourning phase it’s time to pick yourself back up and start the problem solving phase. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in this phase so try tackling one thing at a time. Write a list (yes pen and paper) of the top issues, in priority order, that you need to address. I find it helps to focus on one particular problem or task than trying to solve everything at once. Attempting to solve all of your problems resulting from the current situation will cause you to feel overwhelmed and limit your ability to think clearly. Move down your list one at a time and either write down your next step to solve that problem or jot down a couple of options.