The one word that can best describe the year 2020 is uncertainty. The Coronavirus has disrupted our lives, and everything we took for granted is now a distant memory. Every day is like a time bomb; you honestly don’t know how tomorrow will be. You keep wondering if your loved ones are safe. This compounded with the uncertainty in the job market makes the situation even worse.
You can choose to spend your days worrying about what will happen, or you can choose to focus on what’s working. And so to ensure you get the most of these uncertain times, here are five tips to help you stay grounded.
Acknowledge your feelings
The first thing is acknowledging that this is a tough year. Some people have lost their loved ones, others have lost their jobs, and some have lost their marriages. The pain that comes with these setbacks is devastating for anyone. Therefore, it’s important to acknowledge the negative feelings that come with loss. Perhaps you are feeling angry, rejected or lonely. Take your power back and recognize the pain you are going through. From this point, you can address the situation with your emotions in check.
Practice gratitude
In Kenya, the number of COVID-19 deaths has reached 1,587. You are still here. That’s something to be thankful for. You might have lost your job, but you are alive. Perhaps you are stuck at home, but you are breathing.
Uncertain times usually trigger fear and anxiety because we don’t know what tomorrow holds. Often, we are tempted to complain. But before you let fear get into you, look into your life and see how far you’ve come. You don’t need to think of big stuff only. The fact that you woke up today is a blessing.
So, instead of following every news update, talking of how your boss is inconsiderate or how the situation could have been avoided if only the government could have done something different, focus on the positives. What are you grateful for? You can start a simple habit of writing something good that happened during the day.
When you complain, or feelings of hopelessness creep in, unleash your gratitude list and recount the good things you are thankful for.
Connect with others
When you are alone, you think that you are the only one facing a particular challenge. However, there are so many people out there, struggling with the same problem or even worse. This is the time to reach out to others and share what you are feeling. Be honest.
Let your close associates know if you are starving. Share about your financial crisis. Talk about your emotional and mental health. Talking to others and listening to others share their challenges can help you feel grounded in the fact that you are not alone, everyone is facing challenges. You’ll feel better in no time. Plus, this could be the only way to get financial assistance and emotional support.
Also, be a vessel of hope. Apart from talking about everyday challenges and fears, spread love and hope, encourage someone whose will-power is dwindling. Check on your circle of friends and let them know you are thinking about them.
Stay active
Time and again, you’ll be tempted to get into a pity party. If it’s a one-off thing, that’s okay. However, if it’s your go-to consolation, it will drain the life out of you. Thus, it’s important to maintain an active lifestyle.
Get up every day and get something to do. You can have a routine so that your day is occupied. This will help you minimize idleness or small talk that will trigger fear or hopelessness. Now, this will take a lot of will-power because your mind will always try to focus on the challenges at hand.
Practice mindfulness
You can decide to go through the day doing the bare minimum, or you can opt to go hard and get the most of everything you do. Do not be tied on the roller-coaster of getting through life. Be deliberate in everything you do. Do not get distracted by the chaos that surrounds you.
Just like you started the year in high spirits, try to maintain the same. Things might not get better, but you can control what happens on the inside. So, take charge of that which is in your control.
