Uncertainty

scroll to the end for a fun game/de-stressing exercise

What are some things that…scare you? Or make you paranoid? Or overthink? Death is one thing that scares some of us. Recovery from an injury or illness. Getting lost and having a hard time finding your way back. Texting a person after your first date and waiting to hear back. Waiting for your grades. Waiting for a cake to bake.

These all vary in how high the threshold for your patience can go. They are also all good examples of – uncertainty. When something is uncertain, and you have bare minimum information, it scares you. If you knew the day of your death, it would definitely change your way of living. When we see the light at the end of a tunnel, it’s always less stressful than walking in a dark tunnel.

That’s what our current scenario is. And what a time to be alive, eh? The element of surprise – good or bad, is always unsettling. Because you’re always waiting or expecting something to happen even before it happens. Or it could be happening and you’ve no idea!

That’s what this virus is like. We don’t know how long it’s here for. Do I have it? Does the person I’m interacting with have it? If I do get it, will I die? When will all this be over? When can we all go back to the way things were?

There are no certain answers to these questions, and this scares us.

This isn’t a post to rant about how we shouldn’t freak out or not worry. You definitely should be concerned. You definitely should be cautious. You should for sure talk to everyone you know, about social distancing. About isolation. About quarantine after travel, regardless of whether you feel fine or not.

But, you should not let this uncertainty take over your life.

Take this breathing moment, even if it’s an inopportune time, to work on yourself. Do those things you’ve always wanted to do. Read more. Spend time with your loved ones. Learn to play a new instrument using YouTube. Catch up on those shows you’ve been missing. Learn how to cook. Go out for a walk – while maintaining social distance. I like to see this as an act of balance by Nature. We polluted her home, and she’s back to take control. Did you know that the air pollution and CO2 values have dropped drastically, just because we don’t drive to work anymore?

This is a reminder to slow down.

I have seen a lot of panic posts on the internet, but have also seen a lot of people using their sense of humour to get through this. You choose which group you want to be a part of. Play your part as a responsible citizen of the Earth. Listen to the professionals. Maintain social distance, isolate when needed, do not unnecessarily go out, and thank any staff you see staying out for this – at the grocery store, at the hospitals, clinics, and sadly, even at construction sites. They’re all out there for you, so do them a favour and stay home.

Yes, it is sad with the amount of deaths we’ve seen during the course of these three months. Let’s not allow that to escalate, and do our part to be weary of our health. Take necessary precautions. And if you feel like you’re about to spiral, because I know it’s possible, here are some helpful links to calm you down. Some are related to what’s going on, some totally random, and some just for laughs.

For the sake of your sanity, I’m not linking what what is, but just going by random titles I can think of. Let the element of surprise work its charm here 🙂

Happy Social Distancing! Stay safe ❤

Helpful Links:

If you have any helpful tips, comments, views, insights, or anything positive to share during this time, please comment on this post. Any form of positivity will help shed light on the uncertainty we’re facing.