COVID-19 was first reported at the end of 2019. Even though, life has always thrown us curve balls a pandemic lasting years has definitely pushed the limits and redefined the term Uncertainty.  Traveling restrictions, anxiety, the unknown, extraordinary realities, threats to our health, families stuck apart, financial stress and recession, you name it… Every single one of us has been affected in one way or another. We can’t eliminate stress, anxiety and uncertainty from our lives but we can certainly learn how to live with them. So what are some real and practical strategies?

Therapists can’t prescribe this enough: Self-care! Sleep, rest, eat nourishing and yummy food, connect with people that nurture you, go out to nature, exercise, book some “Me Time”. Seeing your therapist would definitely help too.

Work on Mindfulness. Mindfulness is a practice that helps us stay present in the moment and promote acceptance. By concentrating on what’s happening at that very moment we reduce the anxiety and stop the wandering mind (we will cover this further in another post). Studies show that mindfulness is effective in treating people with anxiety and depression and more and more practitioners are training on this technique. So breathe in uncertainty, breathe out acceptance. Live and act with mindfulness by being present in your mind, body and emotions with what you are doing. 

Projects. Having something to look forward to can improve our overall well-being. Plan your next adventure, take up a new hobby, start a garden, enroll in a course, or simply organise an event with your friends or family. 

Celebrate the little victories. Let’s face it, things can get pretty overwhelming, pretty quick. Things that normally won’t require much effort or brain power can seem like a huge mountain climb at times. So stay on the bright side by celebrating little victories such as making your bed, cooking a hearty meal, making that phone call that you were meant to do, going to the gym or doing that bush walk, or any other form of bravery, boldness and self-love that you were procrastinating. 

Journal. Keep track of your goals, tasks, dreams and gratitude by journaling. Or simply write how you feel. 

Do one thing a day to help others. Don’t underestimate the power of kindness. Evidence shows that doing random acts of kindness can boost our well-being and happiness so help your neighbour, call a friend who’s going through a tough time, volunteer with a local organisation or even just smile to a stranger on the street… you might be making their day.

Think about Sustainable Happiness. Think holistic and real. There are plenty of blogs, books, influencers and websites sharing Positivity-at-all-costs (Some experts even call it Toxic Positivity). But is that everlasting Disney-like happiness attainable? The answer is plain no, you can’t think about happiness in those terms because it is simply not sustainable. It is also important to learn how to navigate uncomfortable and unpleasant emotions, such as the ones caused by uncertainty. That kind of instagramable positivity inflates the ego and moves us further away from a more communal happiness at the same time. Looking at well-being as a holistic task is key. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. 

Absolute control is an illusion. Yet delegating all responsibilities of control to the Universe is dangerous and counterproductive. Life happens in that balancing act of accepting what we can’t control and owning our desires, dreams and goals. And last but not least, remember to be kind to yourself too.