How are young Ukrainians coping with uncertainties brought by the war?

Do you believe in prophesies?

?It seems, that back in 2015 I have experienced just that.

Filled with pride, excitement and a little anxious, I sat through one of my first lectures at the University of Warwick.

?It was the only time I saw that lecturer, but his words have repeatedly sprung in my mind. He spoke about the unprecedented changes that my generation would experience on its path. With striking examples, moment after moment, he drew a vision of what the future held – changes, uncertainty, even chaos.

?After the lecture, I ran down the stairs to the podium and asked: “What am I supposed to do? How can a young person succeed when the future is so uncertain?”

To this he replied: “Pave your own path, create your own rules and do not be afraid of taking risks.”

?Today, every Ukrainian is doing just that - we are paving our own path, taking risks beyond anything we have ever expected and facing complete uncertainty.

The question remains - how do we succeed? And what is success even? How does it look like? And how can we best navigate through the vicissitudes of life?

?When questions are many and answers are few or even absent, I find that conversations and hearing other people’s experiences and stories enables me to mold the best course of action.

With this in mind, I decided to document how some young, talented Ukrainians, living through war, answer one question:

“What helps you cope with uncertainties brought by the war?”

?Alina Pendeshchuk, Business Development Lead, datrics.ai

“This really is a difficult question. What helps me cope is a clear understanding that we have to survive and persevere. In terms of more practical things – helping our soldiers, investing in the work of other Ukrainians, running and my job.” ?

Alina is doing remarkable work in organising the funding and purchases of equipment that helps protect and save the lives of our soldiers.

Sasha Garashenko Digital Marketing Manager, Modern Expo

“If I am honest, we did not really have certainty in life before the war. I live by principle – resolve things as they come. What has changed, is our ability to make long-term plans. Right now, decisions about things like where we plan to live are on hold. I just try to cherish the moments and live in the present.”

?Oleksandr Hrebenar Trainee Frontend Developer, IT Project Manager

“The war forced me to completely re-evaluate life. I decided to enjoy every moment, while such opportunity exists. I think to cope with uncertainties brought by the war we need to adapt to the circumstances. I have decided to change my profession and focus more on further developing my skillset. Besides my training, I am also taking English classes. Of course, having my family and friends by my side plays a very important role in my ability to face these challenging times. And last, but not least, I have hope in Ukraine’s victory and that it will bring positive changes that will make our country and our people stronger.”

Volodymyr Burinskyj Co-founder & CEO of M39.com.ua – Ukrainian wooden gifts and accessories business

“In general, I do not see any uncertainty. Perhaps, there was some in the first or second week of the war. Now everything is more or less clear. Every day will get more difficult. We can give up and give in, or we can push through, grow, get stronger to be able to overcome all the challenges. I chose the second path. Now, like never before, I work a lot on myself and on my business. And I see results. This motivates me to keep going. Sooner or later the war will end, and we will either remain on the same level as before, or we can push through and find our place in the new, post-war country. So let’s keep going!”

Oksana Burynska Co-founder of M39.com.ua – Ukrainian wooden gifts and accessories business/ Co-founder of save.ukraine.sale project

“First thing which comes to mind – my child’s smile. When you watch how your child laughs, enjoys life, gets to know the world, you understand where the real happiness lies and what is truly important. I feel deep desire to shield my child from all the negativity. The time spent with family and loves ones has become important, like never before. The rest is simple. Staying busy helps to keep negative and destructive thoughts away, I dedicate a lot of my time to my work and volunteering. And the most important thing - to not give up and just keep going.”

?Mykhailo Bohdan Senior Sales Account Manager, Turnitin

“The war came in our lives unexpectedly and brought a lot of stress and uncertainty. As for me, doing sports is the best way to burn stress hormones in my blood, so when I feel at loss of hope, I go to the gym or to the tennis court to reconnect my mind and body. Sports helps me resist being absorbed by all the problems and helps fight the stress that can capture my mind and body. After exercising, I always feel that my mind becomes clearer, I can look at questions at hand more objectively and find better solutions.

?But what about uncertainty? We are always chasing happiness in career, we strive for financial growth, results in areas in which we invest most of our time and resources. It is easy to forget, that true happiness is very close to us. I have my loved ones and my family, we always support and help each other endure the unprecedented difficulties created by the war. Sometimes, we need to accept the circumstances. We need to continue to live, support our country, our military, our economics. In my opinion, this is the best way to overcome the uncertainty, which the war brings into our homes and minds.”

?And what helps you cope with uncertainties? Share your thoughts and tips in comments.