How to cope with events you can't control.

The world has become increasingly unpredictable. This has translated into more risk, both perceived and real. For me, it certainly feels like as soon as we breathe a sigh of relief on one event, another arrives to compound our anxiety. This cycle has the potential to breed frustration toward the present, and dread for the future. These feelings are natural and, to a degree, healthy. What follows are simple strategies that help us 'cope' during such times:

Catastrophizing: It is easy to fall into a cycle of catastrophic thinking where the worst case scenario is a 'go to'. It is important to interrupt these negative thought processes by staying cognizant of the fact that your negative thoughts are not necessarily representative of reality.

Activate your senses: This distraction technique also works with physical pain and involves engaging in something that activates your senses. This type of stimulation centers a person within the moment (cooking, gardening, drawing, etc.) and let's us cathartically relax.

Talk and/ or write: Talking to a partner or a friend about our feelings can relieve stress and anxiety. We can get the same outcome by writing what we feel, this can also let us identify our thought patterns. Both methods are expressive and work against a 'bottled up' stance.

Identify anxiety triggers: We are creatures of habit which allows us to identify the patterns that lead to our anxiety escalation. So, if we can derive the triggers, we can control exposure and mitigate their effect with sleep, a nutritious diet, exercise, connecting with nature, etc.

Doom scrolling: Social media amplifies anxiety and triggers existing underlying conditions such as feelings of isolation or insecurity. Limiting time on social media in a must in today's world to prevent being influenced by the mis- and disinformation on the various platforms.

Seek professional advice: The way you are feeling could be justified and valid. We cannot be positive all the time. But, if feel your anxiety levels getting to an uncomfortable level, or they are causing unhealthy behaviours, then do not delay in reaching out to a professional.

It is important that we remember that we are all in this together. I can promise that you are not the only one feeling they way you do, so don't be afraid to talk about it. Lastly, seeking professional help is like reaching for a glass of water, if you're thirsty then you've waited too long - but take a drink before it's too late...and if you need to talk then I'm available to listen.