6 ways to cope, adapt and thrive in these unprecedented and uncertain times

Dear Sweet Friends,

Does the world feel topsy-turvy, and the future sometimes seems a bit dim? Does life, as we know it, feel out of control? You are not alone! We are experiencing one of the most unprecedented and uncertain times in history. I came across a Harvard Business Review article titled” Our Brains Were Not Built for This Much Uncertainty.” The article stated, “… as we encounter unprecedented levels of uncertainty in every aspect of our lives, we should understand that the human brain simply was not built for this.”

We now know that this is not all in our heads; this is backed by science and history. So there is confirmation that, (1) we are experiencing and living through unprecedented and uncertain times and (2) our brains are not wired for so much uncertainty.  

Yes, Sweet Friends, as a global community, we are all living and experiencing these unprecedented and uncertain times. The question now is how do we cope, adapt and thrive during these times?

The “New Norm,” what has changed in our everyday lives?

Before I delve into how we cope, adapt, and thrive during these unprecedented and uncertain times, let’s explore one historical event that may have tipped us even further into these times. Can you guess what the monumental event is?

Yep, you guessed it, the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes and uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the way many people lived. In addition, it impacted peoples’ overall mindset about the world and how they exist in this world.

In the last few years, we have heard about the “Great Resignation” and “Quiet Quitting” as people rethink their relationship to work. These terminologies have taken center stage in the media for the past few years.  

People are reevaluating their priorities, and work is one area they are specifically changing their attitudes, among other things.  

Why is this happening, and Why now?

For several decades, unfettered productivity and hustle culture were trending, “work hard, play hard” was the predominant mantra. Many of us were trying to keep up with this fast-paced, productivity obsessive culture. Before you knew it, “Burnout” was a trending topic. The productivity and hustle culture was taking its toll on our overall well-being. People realized they could not sustain this fast-paced, demanding culture and keep up with the rigorous productivity level required in the workplace and other areas of their lives.

 Many people are burned out from the daily demands on their lives, whether it be work, family, or demands they themselves created. The “Work hard, play hard” culture pushed and glamorized the idea of self-sacrifice to meet society’s view of success, which became toxic and harmful.

People are now taking a step back and reevaluating whether this approach is worth it. Whether the rewards they sought were worth it. We are seeing some shift from hustle culture to now seeing concepts like “Slow Living,” Slow Productivity,” “Intentional Living,” and “Romanticizing Your Life” as a way to counter and cope with this culture, and these ideologies are being embraced. People are looking for a healthier approach to living their lives that does not compromise their well-being. So the culmination of this new perspective on productivity and the “work hard, play hard” culture has collided with the rapid changes we are now experiencing in our society. 

How do we adapt, cope and thrive in these unprecedented and uncertain times?

There are many ways and approaches we can take to adapt, cope and thrive in these unprecedented and uncertain times. Here are a few things you can consider and try out:

1. Commit to your well-being– Here at Sweet Lyfe Daily, we view commitment to your well-being as the foundation for creating that Sweet Lyfe. Taking care of your mind, body and spirit are the most important steps you can take during these unprecedented and uncertain times. Here are a few ways you can do this (i) make sure you are getting your annual medical check-ups, (ii) get enough sleep, (iii) schedule time to relax and recharge, (iv) schedule time to exercise, (v) take time to check in with yourself, see how you are doing, how you are feeling? and (vi) Connect with your support system.

2.     Let go of the illusion of control. Letting go of the idea that you have control over life, and rather, focusing on what you can manage in the here and now is another way to cope.  

In the book, Psychology of Money, the author states that the “illusion of control is more persuasive than the reality of uncertainty. So we cling to stories about outcomes being in our control. “

As human beings, we expend a lot of energy trying to control life and the outcomes of situations and circumstances that are not in our control. We need to accept that the only sure thing we can control is ourselves; our behavior, emotions, attitude, response to events and circumstances, etc. Everything else is outside of our control. Accepting this reality will help us navigate the pitfalls during these unprecedented and uncertain times. 

So how do we do this? Ask yourselves these questions when you feel stressed, overwhelmed, stuck, or anxious, whose business are you in?  This is one way to discern whether the situation causing these emotions is within your control or not? This is an exercise I suggest you incorporate as a daily practice, so it can become a natural default whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed.

3.   Build and nurture meaningful relationships. 

There is no need to tackle the challenges that come with these unprecedented and uncertain times alone. Having meaningful social connections, whether it is family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, or acquaintances, is another important way to help you navigate these unprecedented and uncertain times.

If you are someone who isolates yourself when times get hard or gets into the headspace that you can handle each challenge as it comes on your own, I am here to tell you it does not have to be this way.  

There is a high probability that whatever challenges you are experiencing, you are not the only one experiencing these challenges. Therefore, having a support system is essential in order to manage stress, responsibilities, and your overall well-being. A support system is helpful when you are experiencing challenges or even when times are great. They not only support you during these challenges but they also can be integral in helping you sustain your wins and continue to add to those wins.

Here at Sweet Lyfe Daily, we are creating safe spaces so that our community can engage in more solution-oriented conversations with respect to some of the challenges we face in our daily lives and during these unprecedented and uncertain times.

These spaces allow us to openly discuss, brainstorm and share ideas and solutions while simultaneously empowering each other to take intentional action to cope, adapt and thrive during these times, and accomplish all this while moving at a pace that suits us.  

4.     Take Action: One of the most effective ways to reduce uncertainty is to take action and see what happens. As we stated earlier, we live in an unprecedented and uncertain time, so for many of these uncertainties we face, there is no exact playbook on how to navigate them. We can look back into the past for similar disruptions and see how people navigated identical problems and leveraged that knowledge. Still, there is no time in human history that is exactly like the one we are experiencing right now.  

That said, getting curious and taking action are some ways to better handle these unprecedented and uncertain times. By action, I mean taking calculated, informed risks. What is calculated risk, you may ask? Simplicable.com gave a great definition: “A calculated risk is an action or strategy that is pursued after careful consideration of risks. Generally speaking, a calculated risk is taken when it is decided that potential rewards of an action outweigh the risks. Such decisions are influenced by risk tolerance and the availability of less risky alternatives.” Check out this exercise that can get you on your way to doing your own risk assessment.

5.  Embrace Change-Stephen Hawking stated that: “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” Another quote that resonated with me was, “If it is impossible to predict what is around the corner, then the secret to success is adapting quickly to what appears.” I used these two quotes to state the obvious, “Change is the only constant.” 

Throughout history, human beings have remained resilient and adapted to change. The key here is how we react to these changes that can determine where we end up.  

In these unprecedented and uncertain times, change feels like it is moving at warp speed. The only thing I can suggest, as the quotes stated, is to embrace it and adapt. So what does that look like? First is to shift our mindset to embrace the concept that “Change is the only constant.” It is hard to embrace this concept when we are conditioned to believe we alone can impact the outcome we want. For example, we hear the message that you can be successful by working hard and that most rewards are merit-based. While it would be great if we had control of our success, we know that other variables are involved in the outcome.  

So how do we re-frame and embrace change? First, look at change as the catalyst that will push us to seek opportunities and innovation that we may not have thought of before this disruption or had access to but for the change. 

Let’s apply this to a real-life scenario, you lose your job, and at first, you are stunned, upset, and scared. Still, what you perceive as a negative experience may push you to reevaluate your job or career. You may decide to try something new, acquire new skills, or become an entrepreneur. But for the loss of your job, you may not have even considered these other opportunities.

I am not suggesting you overhaul your life due to any particular change. What I am saying is if you are not there already, shift to a growth mindset; believe that you can adapt to these changes. Believe you can grow and thrive during these unprecedented and uncertain times.   

I like to view these unprecedented and uncertain times as an opportunity where we can try new things, think outside the box, and challenge our imagination and perspectives. This is where your growth and evolution start to happen. So take that calculated risk and embrace and adapt to change.

 6.     Find Joy in the simple things. Ordinary moments, like savoring a cup of tea, smelling the rich scent of flowers, taking in the lushness of nature, watching the sunrise and set, and sitting and leaning into those quiet moments, are small moments of joy we can experience daily. We often let these moments go by without fully feeling and enjoying these experiences as they happen. Take time each day to slow down, acknowledge and savor those moments. Becoming aware of the beauty in the world, appreciating the small joys, and not waiting for one noteworthy thing to bring you joy, is another way to cope, adapt and thrive in these unprecedented and uncertain times. 

Life is full of struggles, but life is also full of joy. We have to take the time and slow down enough to appreciate it. I encourage you to create a daily Joy list and ask yourself, ” What has brought me joy today? Being reminded daily of the small pleasures we experience is more likely to reinforce that good things are happening for us. In addition, it helps you to put your struggles into perspective. So give yourself a daily boost, Sweet Friends and start listing those everyday joys.

This is not an exhaustive list of ways to cope, adapt and thrive during these unprecedented and uncertain times, but it’s a start. I encourage you to embrace and lean into these unprecedented and uncertain times. There are going to be days that are genuinely uncomfortable and days that you surprise the heck out of yourself as you tackle and overcome some of these challenges that come your way.

But, like many human beings who came before us, we are resilient. We may have different things that are important to each of us, but choosing to face these unprecedented and uncertain times by focusing on what is essential and taking it day by day to work through these challenges, will be well worth it in the end.  

Have a wonderful day! 

Sweet Lyfe Daily

Please add to this list, let us know other ways you are coping, adapting and thriving during these unprecedented and uncertain time?