Will I have a job when furloughing ends? When will I be able to travel freely again? What will the world look like in six months? How will we get through this? So many questions without answers. We all have uncertainty at various times in our lives but it’s fair to say that we are collectively facing uncertainty of a kind we could never have imagined. 

There are daily conversations in the media about the implications of the coronavirus pandemic; many of them not helpful.  The truth is that life is fundamentally uncertain, it’s just that we tend to live under the illusion that we have more control than we in fact do. Rewind to the start of 2020 there was much talk about what a great year it was going to be as we welcomed a new decade, dreams, plans, goals and aspirations.  

Bang. Lockdown; toilet roll famine and our daily movements and lifestyles curtailed in a way that we simply could not have believed was possible prior to 16 March. Our basic freedoms that we took for granted (as certain), removed. It was a frightening time, we felt as though we had entered some surreal other world.

For those readers who play poker you will know that professional players live and breathe uncertainty, the same is true of those in financial market;  what they both trade in is the ability to handle risk, embrace uncertainty and importantly work on averages over the long term.

Former poker player Casper Berry describes uncertainty brilliantly in this Tedx talk and although it’s from 2017 the messages it contains are perhaps more pertinent than ever. It’s funny, inspiring and talks about the importance of taking risks and failing it’s not a long watch at around 16 minutes and provides some insightful perspective https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKy26jP7jUc

While none of us would have wanted the tragic loss of life that this virus has wreaked there is potential for huge opportunity and possibility if we only look beyond our fear of uncertainty. We have a blank sheet of paper to redesign our lives and being able to handle uncertainty is key however if we are to have the clarity to see and create this future. So what are some of the practical things we can do?

1. Stay rational.  Our limbic brain which contains our amygdala is all about fight or flight. It’s where fear resides.  So we need to stay rational when those irrational fear-based thoughts kick in. Some social media and news platforms fan the flames of this kind of thinking so you may want to stay away or limit your exposure to those. Focus on thoughts that are stress free. Envision the best.  Research shows that generally people tend to overestimate and catastrophize risk and negative consequences. In short don’t dwell on problems. 
2. Remember to breathe.  One of the first things that happens in our bodies when we are feeling worried is that our breathing becomes quicker and more shallow.  Make a concerted effort to breathe slowly and more deeply.  This kind of breathing has also been shown to slow the mind’s activity and if your thoughts are slowing then you have more chance to exercise some choices around those thoughts.
3. The future is an unknown.  Be ok with this and learn to stay in the moment. Accept that there are aspects of life that you cannot control and instead empower yourself by working on the things that you can control in the here and now.  Think about how you might mitigate the risks that  are concerning you. Be practical and realistic.
4. Spend time alone, have walks in nature or whatever calms and quietens you.  When you are in a relaxed calm state you are more likely to be able to think creatively and  optimistically.  Read and develop yourself, we change by learning more, doing more and being more.
5. Reflect on what has helped you in the past.  Think back to other times in your life when there was uncertainty and how you handled it.
6. Embrace uncertainty.  There are many times when life is uncertain, when we marry we cannot know for certain whether the marriage will last, we have no idea what the weather will be like when we go on holiday, we make financial investments, we elect politicians without the certainty that they will live up to their promises but we still make decisions and move forward.
7. Make exercise a must. There is so much evidence that exercising is not just physically beneficial, it helps us mentally too.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog it’s my firm belief that there is a societal shift taking place in terms of how we live and work, and it’s up to us to decide whether we decide to shape that into a future we desire or not.  It’s a personal responsibility, and equipping ourselves to be the ‘best version of ourselves’, developing our skills and mindset is how we are most likely to create that. 

 I have high hopes for us all, and perhaps we should play a bit of poker from time to time.

 I’d be interested to hear how you handle uncertainty, let me know.