Bounce Back and Tackle Worries

Science-based Ways to Tackle Worries, Low Motivation and Bounce Back

The rising concerns of inflation and the uncertain times we are living in may make it difficult to cope. The increase in food and gas prices, among other aspects, may increase stress and anxiety levels. And when you combine this with everyday worries you may be experiencing related to your job and personal life, it can be even harder to bear. While it can be incredibly hard to be on this rollercoaster of life sometimes, there are coping strategies that we can use to help us feel better as we go through the day.

Here are strategies that can boost our mood, tackle uncertainty, curb worrying, and help us get back in the saddle.

Increase Your Motivation By Taking a Dose of Positive Emotion

Negative events that may be happening around you combined with personal obstacles may leave you feeling down and unmotivated to tackle your tasks. However, taking a dose of positive emotion – such as watching a show that makes you laugh even for 10 minutes each day – can lift your mood. This boost and mood lift can make it easier to get things done as you’re going down your to-do list.1 This is a great hack when your motivation dips and you’re looking for something that can help you bounce back.

Research shows that when we take a dose of positive emotion, we tend to persist longer on activities that we have to do later on.2 So indulge in something that makes you feel good or laugh for 10 minutes and then tackle a work task – maybe, just maybe, you’ll find it easier to stick with the task a little longer than anticipated. A boost of positive emotion also raises your endorphin levels – the feel-good chemicals in your body – and lowers your stress hormone levels.

Increase Your “Tolerance of Uncertainty”

A number of people I come into contact with through my work and life coaching practice have been telling me about this sense of uncertainty that pervades their lives. This situation can be especially challenging for people who have anxiety. People with poor mental health, such as anxiety disorders, may feel debilitated and are at higher risk for conditions, such as depression.3

One thing that can help people during this time of turbulence, is tackling intolerance of uncertainty – becoming more comfortable with ‘not knowing’ rather than letting it fuel our fears.

When I ask people who may be struggling with anxiety how they’ve been trying to cope, sometimes they will say that they’ve been trying to increase the certainty – doing everything they can to feel more sure in an uncertain situation (ex. working longer hours at the expense of their health, indulging superstitions to prevent dreaded outcomes). But doing this often only serves to increase pressure and may make you feel even more distressed. Another way of going about it is working to increase the tolerance. Becoming more tolerant of unpredictable situations – whether it’s job insecurity, this pandemic, or even your health. You do what you can (e.g. getting the work report in on time, eating healthy and engaging in physical activity) and then let the chips fall where they may.

Curbing Worries That Dampen Moods

Oftentimes we think that worrying helps us arrive at a useful solution. This is why we may become preoccupied with our worries, focusing on worst-case scenarios and trying to mentally solve them. But worrying can dampen our moods. Not only this, but over 90% of our worries don’t come true, according to research by Penn State University.4 When you track your worries and write down what is on your mind, you’ll see that most of the time, the things you fear don’t actually manifest. This can give us peace of mind and a sense of relief.

While we’re living in uncertain times and the levels of stress are high, there are coping strategies that we can practice to feel a little better in our day-to-day lives. Strategies, such as increasing our tolerance of uncertainty and taking a dose of positive emotion may help boost our mood and our motivation and make us feel like we can take the next step forward again.

References:

1. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Instant-Mood-Fix-Emergency-remedies/ dp/1529109647). 2. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2007-05686-006) 3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11231832/) 4. https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/think-act-be/201907/how-oftendo-your-worries-actually-come-true

Author Bio:

Olivia Remes, PHD Mental Health researcher at Cambridge University Author and Life Coach Author of The Instant Mood Fix