Have you been affected in some way by COVID-19?
No doubt the answer would be yes!
With the amount of uncertainty that has occurred during COVID, it is common to feel upset, confused and frustrated.
- Have you had to change your plans at the last minute?
- Has it prevented you from working, or seeing loved ones?
- Has it brought about panic, fear and uncertainty for the future?
Now more than ever we seem to be living in an uncertain world. Particularly as we learn to live with COVID, we have begun to understand that what we knew to be ‘normal’ has now become very uncertain.
How Living with Uncertainty Can Affect Us
We often strive for security to feel safe and in control of our environment, so living with uncertainty may bring its own challenges, including magnifying our worries, resulting in fear, stress, an overwhelmed sense of powerlessness, anxiety or depression. Many people may have thought as we move into a New Year, that it will be much better than last year – but again the outcome may not be certain. There is uncertainty around peoples’ jobs, health, housing, holidays, marriages, finances, relationships, and so on.
If you are struggling and feeling overwhelmed with living in a world of uncertainty, it is important to understand you are not alone and there is help: there are ways of combating this insecurity.
There are ‘stepping stones’ you can take to alleviate your anxiety, feel better equipped to deal with uncontrollable circumstances that arise, and learn to face the unknown without fear and with more confidence.
Through counselling we would work together in finding ways to better tolerate uncertainty in our lives. We would look at a variety of exercises or activities using mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to increase your tolerance, build resilience, and reduce your stress and anxiety. We do not want to be ruled by our emotions, or feel like we have to avoid certain situations as they may trigger our anxiety, inevitably reducing our choices in life.
How to Cope with Living with Uncertainty
Some of these ‘stepping stones’ would include:
- Focusing on what is under your control.
- Challenging your thinking habits around the need for certainty.
- Strategies for tolerating life’s curve balls.
- Interventions that will reduce the anxiety and stress that you are facing right now
Let’s work together to live without fear, and focus on an attitude of acceptance and freedom.
Author: Fiona Muller, B Soc Sc, Major in Counselling; Member of PACFA and CCAA.
Fiona is a registered counsellor working with both individuals and couples. Having previously worked with women’s groups, aged care, child care, pre-marriage counselling and community outreach programs, and married for nearly 30 years with two young adult children, Fiona’s experiences have given her a greater understanding and empathy of the many challenges and losses that life brings.
To make an appointment try Online Booking. Alternatively, you can call M1 Psychology Brisbane on (07) 3067 9129.