Persevering through ambiguity

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How well do you deal with change and ambiguity? Some people are blessed with the skillset to go with the flow and readily adapt as needed.  If you're like me, though, you prefer structure, clear directions, and to know what to expect in any given situation.  Unfortunately, life doesn't always offer us the consistency and clarity that we might want.  Change happens.  What's that old adage...The only constant in life is that everything changes? 

As we continue through the pandemic and deal with changing expectations at work, in class, and out in the world, it's important to have some skills to help us cope with the unknown.  So, here are a few things that I hope you'll find helpful:

  • Will it matter in 5 years?  If it won't matter in 5 years, don't waste energy railing and fighting against the tide.
  • Are you practicing self-care?  Taking care of yourself can help you take care of others when dealing with change.  It also can help to keep you from overreacting to a situation because you're already primed for stress.
  • Are you being mindful?  Mindfulness allows us to respond to a situation rather than react.  It can also slow things down so that change doesn't feel quite so daunting or overwhelming.
  • Can you find some perspective? It's really easy to fall into the mundane patterns of life - work, school, chores, repeat forever.  Finding something that gives you joy and that you can invest your energy in can remind you that these trivial things don't matter as much as you think they do. Think about what matters most to you.  If it's not on the list, don't waste energy obsessing or stressing about it.
Keeping all of this in mind can help us persevere through times of constant change or ambiguous situations.  And, if you're looking for more resources on dealing with ambiguity, check these out:










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