Creating Certainty in Your Life

Just because we're in uncertain times doesn't mean you can't have certainty in your life.

With unsure times comes uncertainty, and uncertainty can be unsettling. When things feel "up the air," with seemingly no straight answers, anxiety and stress kick in. When that happens, it's not just about that one "uncertain" thing in our lives, it can begin to affect ALL aspects of our lives.

It can become a state of being. 

Feeling unsettled is sometimes good. It's the only thing that moves you away from your comfort zone, which is necessary to accomplish anything beyond where you currently are in life. However, at times when it feels as if there are no clear answers in your day to day life, it can be easy to get lost in the uncertainty.

This is when your focus needs to step up its game.

Here's a coping tip to regain a feeling of control during uncertain times:

Deliberately build more things into your day that you DO have control over!

When things feel out of your control, you can then refocus onto something over which you have control...because it's available to you and within reach.

Simply put, when you choose to focus on things outside of your control, you will feel anxious. When you choose to focus on things within your control, you will feel more calm.

Here are some examples of things over which you have total control, that you can do every single day:

• Schedule reading time on your calendar, and get lost in a book (nothing news related!)
• Make a list of self-care things and make it a game - you have to check three things off each day
• Write - let it all out!!! Your stress is caused by keeping things in! Release those things, and calm will be able to find you.
• Walk your dog (if you don't have a dog, walk yourself!) three times a day, while breathing in the fresh air
• Learn a new skill - some of my daily favorites are learning a new language on the free Duolingo app and taking free online classes (there are thousands on every subject imaginable!!!)
• Turn off the news! Just tune out!
• Learn to meditate - start with one minute and work your way up to five minutes
• Throw away your to-do list and put everything on your calendar. (If you assign tasks a time, it is much more likely that everything will get done! Also, your to-do list often looks long...until you spread it out on your calendar - now, it looks really do-able!) 
• Listen to your favorite song - just put your ear buds in and enjoy a couple minutes of dancing, singing, and feeling happy!

When you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome. Begin to look for the things you can control, instead of getting swept-up in the perceived chaos that you can't do anything about.

That starts by reminding yourself that you're in more control than you've been telling yourself.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay.

WRITTEN by Robin Sacks

Professionally, I am a Confidence Coach, speaker, author and motivator.

Personally, I am a mom, wife, and friend.

I live for bad puns and cozy mysteries.

Learn a lot more at https://www.robinjsacks.com.