I would like to talk about fear, and I suggest you talk about fear too. During these exceptional times many of us are struggling with the uncertainty of what life looks like for us now and what does that mean for our futures. Faced with this uncertainty fear can take hold. What is unknown, not understood, or expected is unsettling to most of us in our society. We have built our lives around us to ensure that we are confronted with as little uncertainty as possible, lending us a sense of control. However, the uncertainty has always been there.

I would like to comfort you by saying, we were made for this. Our survival as human beings has been built on uncertainty. We have evolved and adapted to tremendously uncertain environments. Now is the time for us to connect with our innate capabilities for resilience and adaptability. But first we need to address our fears.

What are you feeling most fearful of right now?

What is the feeling of fear? Label it- terrified, fearful, numbing, petrified, panicked, alarmed, scared

Notice where you feel it in your body- what does that feeling feel like- tightness, heat, tension, prickly, numb

What does that mean for you, or your family, your community?

How do you know you are in fear? What does your behaviour look like? We either become mobilized (fight or flight) or petrified (freeze).

It can be helpful to write these things down, or even better talk to someone about it. Give yourself the mental space to unpack your fear, as scary as that might be. Acknowledge and accept the fear you feel so that you can move more intentionally throughout your life now, without fear being in the driver’s seat. In turn you might notice you have a greater tolerance for stressful situations and even an increased sense of ease and confidence in the face of these uncertain times.

Take care,

Veronica