Managing Anxiety During Times of Uncertainty

Anxiety and fear are real and part of everyone’s daily life. Anxiety has the opportunity to push us forward in life in productive ways or it can cause paralysis and can keep us stuck and unproductive.

As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and family specialist, I have seen an increase in anxiety for administrators, teachers, parents and students as they each try to navigate the uncertainty of going back to school in the midst of a pandemic. Whether a child goes back to school or chooses to learn online, all students and parents are faced with their own unique set of stressors.

Life during a pandemic is filled with uncertainty, not just in terms of school related decisions, but all kinds of decisions which are not going anywhere any time soon. While many things remain outside of our control, our mindset is key to coping and managing our fears, our feelings and an uncertain future.

For many of us, the way we cope with uncertainty is to worry, and worrying can make it seems like we have some control over uncertain circumstances. We often fuel our worry by listening to everything in the media, thinking that more knowledge will somehow help us control our future. Chronic worry cannot give us more control; instead, it just robs us of enjoyment in the present, drains our energy, and keeps us up at night.

My encouragement to parents right now is, first, to recognize that your children tend to mirror your emotionality, so be sure you are regulating your own emotions well. Secondly, empower yourself with the confidence and courage that you are making the best decision for your children, even if others around you are making different choices. Thirdly, teach your children coping strategies so they can better manage their own fears and anxiety.

Healthy Ways to Cope with Uncertainty and Anxiety

TIP #1: Focus on the things you can control

While learning to focus on the things you can control, it is equally important to let go of the things you cannot control. While you cannot control the spread of the virus, you can control yourself. The following strategies with help ground you with tangible ways of controlling yourself.

1. Maintain a Routine

Rather than spending time worrying about thing you cannot change, work at creating a structure and routine for yourself. Structure and routine provide a person a sense of normalcy and security during times of uncertainty and it helps us manage the anxieties around us as we recognize that we do have control of ourselves.

2. Take Care of Your Body and Spirit

When creating a structure and routine for yourself, choose to put’ life-giving’ experiences in your schedule. Rather than laying around moping or engaging in passive entertainment, get out and move toward something enjoyable and active. This creates the elevation of dopamine in the brain which helps to regulate mood and improves overall emotional well - being. It is equally important during times of uncertainty to focus your attention of good self - care: better eating habits, sleeping habits, exercise, and meaningful connections with others. These disciplines empower us to take control of what we can control which gives us more courage and stamina to face the challenges we face in the midst of uncertainly.

3. Stay Connected

It is in the context of meaningful relationships that we grow and change. With the isolation that many have experienced during Covid 19, there has been a rise in depression, anxiety, loneliness and even hopelessness. We have to learn how to initiate and connect in new ways and work hard at this in order to manage the uncertainty around us. It is easier to manage our challenges when we have a team of family and friends around to support us.

TIP #2: Focus on the present

Uncertainty often triggers worries about the future and all the bad things we can anticipate happening. When we worry about the future it can fuel feelings such as despair, depression, anxiety and hopelessness as well as exaggerate the scope of the problem, paralyzing us from taking action. Instead of trying to predict what might happen in the future or ruminating on the things you might be afraid of, switch your attention to what is happening in your present reality.

1. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice that can shift your preoccupation with future worries to a stronger appreciation of the present moment, as well as help calm your mind, ease your stress, and boost your overall mood. One example for practicing mindfulness is being aware of all your senses; what are you seeing hearing, smelling, and touching in the present moment and engaging in those things, allowing the present experience to calm you and energize you. Another example is to shift your focus to your breathing and then emptying your mind of all negative thoughts and then replacing the negative thoughts with positive one. One of the best ways that I practice mindfulness is by going on a walk and listening to specific songs from my play list that shape my mindset to the present and the positive, allowing me to let go of the negative, the worries and the future uncertainties.

2. Practice Gratitude

When we choose to give thanks in one small thing at a time, the moments add up. Giving thanks is something we have to learn to practice and when we do the results are positive because giving thanks allows up to shift our mind-set from what we don’t have to all that we do have; or from what we are worried about to what is going on right now in the moment. The personal benefits of practicing gratitude is a sense of peace and joy rather than fear and anxiety.

Nancy A. Johnson, EdD, LMHC Orlando Counseling Specialists 3662 Avalon Park E. Blvd Suite 2021 Orlando, FL. 32828 407-902-9250