As you know, the world is the grip of a global pandemic.
Storm Covid19 has hit, and, as a result, our current plans have come crashing down.
You may be feeling worried, unsure about what the future holds.
You may struggle to keep anxious thoughts at bay.
You may even be feeling frustrated, thinking there was more time available to you right now; yet in reality, the tide is rising, those things you wanted to achieve are drifting out of reach.
The good news is, help is at hand. You can take control of your thoughts, so that you point your mind is set on where you want to go.
Clearing the Fog – A Hazy Future found to be Scarier than Physical Pain!
A recent study shows that the uncertainty of something bad about to happen, is more stressful than being sure that something bad is happening.
The London researchers [Archy de Berker et al, 2016] found that volunteers that were told they would definitely receive an electric shock, whilst playing a venture game, felt calmer and were measurably less agitated than those that were told they had less than a 50% chance of receiving an electric shock. In a nutshell, the level of uncertainty correlated with the level of stress.
So, until the fog evaporates, and we can see clearly, one way or another that something bad will definitely happen, the stress is higher.
So, what happens?
If we can’t neutralise a perceived threat, some of us are apt to worry [catastrophize], whilst others are able to establish a sense of calm amongst the story seas.
Hardwired to Survive
The result of catastrophizing [thinking and talking about the worst that could happen], triggers our primitive survival instinct – the fight or flight response. Questioning what may be, how we should or could respond, running through the different outcomes in our minds [impact on life, business, loved ones] leads to unwanted feelings such as anger, frustration and possibly even aggression. Instinctively, we may want to run away and hide, or stand up and fight.
The Impact of Stress on our Health and Immunity
Since the 1970s, researchers [starting with Carl & Stephanie Simonton] have found that worrying and imagining the worst ailments is detrimental to overcoming an illness, and conversely expecting and visualising recovery can lead to quicker healing and even remission, in some thought to be terminal cases.
The Impact of Stress on Moving Forwards with the Practical Things in Life
If the current uncertainty, has affected your ability to focus and achieve, you may be pleased to know that the same principles [visualisation & expectation] can be used to apply to our behaviours, as our health. You may have heard it said, that, “…the person who does not know where they’re going, always travels further”, and if the current circumstances are holding you back, the trance [relaxation download] that accompanies this article is designed to support you to program your brain to do what you want it to do. With Neurolinguistic programming [NLP] and hypnosis, we teach our clients to program their unconscious [akin to programming a computer] to rewire their brain [via visualisation and positive suggestion] to complete tasks in waking time, that previously they were finding more difficult.
So, what is it that you can do to rise above the fog of uncertainty?
People who are able to mitigate against the impact of stress caused by uncertainty, in order to maintain control, focus and plan ahead, often use simple techniques that we can do naturally to weather the storm and continue to steer their own destiny amidst the chaos.
The following list is a “pick and mix” recipe for your success. Choose what’s right for you:
- Awareness is your superpower: Notice the impact of your thoughts on feelings.
- Notice the worry story you may be telling yourself and switch your focus to notice to realise the positive aspects of the current situation.
- Accept uncertainty and focus on the aspects of your life that you can control; a project, assignment or something else [e.g. DIY, cooking, gardening, studying, writing, etc]
Stand up to the Stress or Anxiety of Uncertainty with some Mood Boosters:
- Exercise and movement
- Meditation, relaxation, self-hypnosis
- Goal orientated activity
Or, something else that you find pleasant or fun.
And, if you know you’ve been procrastinating and want to achieve whatever it is that you haven’t done yet, my giveaway this week, a “Trance to Plan for Certainty,” is designed to accelerate your success. Listen daily for optimum success. Ask others not to disturb you and find somewhere comfortable where you can sit or lie down. Caution: Be sure not to drive or operate machinery whilst listening to this trance.