Life feels a little crazy right now, doesn’t it?  We are constantly being flooded with emotionally charged words from the media like: crisis, grim, turmoil, alert, death toll, outbreak and pandemic.  It seems current events have sent us into a panic, effecting our behaviour and increasing our feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. 

Research has shown that uncertainty can be a powerful stressor, leading to a lot of distress in humans.  For example, studies have shown people would rather get an electric shock now than maybe an electric shock later, and that people experience greater physiological arousal when waiting for an unpredictable shock versus an expected one. 

In an unpredictable situation, the brain looks for clues in the environment based on our past experience of threat or safety, and if the brain can’t tell what is or isn’t dangerous, then anything can seem like a threat.  Add to this our emotionally charged news headlines and bare shelves in the supermarkets, and we have ourselves the perfect ‘anxiety-ridden’ storm.

As a general rule, humans prefer certainty to uncertainty, and the degree to which uncertainty bothers people is different; however, there is no doubt we are living with an increased level of uncertainty at this time.  As a result, it may be helpful to consider the following ideas as we navigate our way through these unchartered waters:

Our thinking matters

When we are anxious, we think with our fight-or-flight animal brain.  If we are unable to recognise these thoughts as part of the stress response, we may get pulled into the downward spiral of catastrophic thinking.  Catastrophic thinking refers to the style of thinking where we “blow things out of proportion” and imagine worst-case scenarios.  When we are focused on these irrational and extreme thoughts, our feelings intensify and drive us to behave in ways that add to our distress.

Be willing to tolerate uncertainty

Because uncertainty is distressing, many of us try to control or eliminate it.  Research shows, however, that thought stopping doesn’t work.  When we try to stop a thought, it only increases the frequency of that thought.  Alternatively, when we switch from what Russ Harris calls the thinking part of the mind to the observing part of the mind, what we find is that the feelings associated with uncertainty are simply physical sensations.  The aim is to increase our ability to observe our emotions, and have the experience without getting caught up in them.

Strike a balance in behaviour

People will typically use one of two strategies when feeling uncertain: approach or avoid.  It is important to note how you feel, in the short-term and the long-term, after using each of these strategies.  For example, it may be helpful to read or listen to the news and get an understanding of the current situation; however, if you are watching or reading too much, it may contribute to feeling overwhelmed and increased anxiety.  Conversely, if we avoid too much this can also add to our stress levels, as we don’t learn to cope with the associated anxiety.

Social connection builds resilience

Positive relationships and supportive environments have an important role to play in helping us face challenges.  Many studies show that the primary factor in resilience is having caring and supportive relationships within and outside the family.  For example, one study showed that people with insufficient perceived social support were the most likely to suffer from mental health disorders like anxiety and depression.  Another study showed that social connection is a greater determinant to health than obesity, smoking, and high blood pressure.  

It is important to acknowledge the situation we are currently in, as doing so helps us to take positive action and minimise the risk to others and ourselves.  Our current guidelines emphasise reduced social contact, and in some cases, total self-isolation.  Under these circumstance it is more important than ever to intentionally seek out social support, through the necessary means, especially if you are feeling anxious or low. It’s surprising how much fulfilment and connection can be had through online apps that are specifically designed to connect people. And don’t forget to pick up the good old phone and have that overdue chat with a friend or relative!