Here’s how to copeand take back some controlwhen faced with an ambiguous future.
“Anxiety makes us worry about the future so that we can plan for scenarios.
For example, they might ask themselves the following: Who will be there?
What will everyone be wearing?
How long will it last?
Will I say something awkward?
Will it be fun?
How are we getting home?
We’ll find out when we get there; I’m going with the flow.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, there are those who relish in the unknown.
Their thought process might include: I wonder who will be there!
Can’t wait to see what everyone’s wearingand for them to see what I’m wearing!
Who knows where we’ll end up or how we’ll get home!
It’s thrilling, open-ended, filled with possibility.
No one way of reacting is correct; they’re simply different.
Yes, anxiety is our organic coping mechanism for a lack of control and information.
If there’s nothing you could do about it, it’s not yours to worry over.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is active and intentional awareness.
It’s not easy, but it’s incredibly powerful.
But we cancreate our own routinesthat give us structure and control on a smaller, more individual scale.
“Habits become automatic and give us a sense of predictability and control,” she says.
In any moment of uncertainty, the same applies.
Focus on gratitude
It’s remarkable howgratitude can transform anxiety.
“Finding the silver lining in a new reality is super important,” Aldao says.
Denial, or avoidance, is one extreme response (the other is over engaging).
Paradoxically, obsessive consumption of informationgrasping for certaintycan make things worse.
“Acknowledging that we can’t control and change everything is extremely important,” Aldao says.
“Wanting to know and control everything fuels uncertainty.
