Uncertainty is scary. We all like to feel as if we have some control over the future. Right now, in these times that can only be described as uncertain, what can we control?
CONTROL YOUR OWN BEHAVIOR
We can’t individually dictate how other people behave, but we have complete control over our own behavior. We decide whether we will follow guidelines, wear masks, practice social distancing, and encourage our families and friends to do the same. We wake up each morning and decide whether we will be glass half-full people or glass half-empty.
Interestingly, how we manage our own behavior can influence how others behave. If you live with family members, your half-full glass can change everything in your home. Your determination to stay safe can infiltrate everyone else in your orbit. A sense of purpose and teamwork can make even the most difficult days feel as if a difference is being made.
CONTROL YOUR INFORMATION CONSUMPTION
We all tend to consume information that reinforces what we already believe. This is generally not a particularly helpful approach to enlightenment. If you are a reader of newspapers or online publications, try to make sure you are fact-checking and vetting sources. Viewing information through different prisms is something we are fortunate to be able to do, and if we don’t take advantage of multiple points of view from reliable, factual sources, we are missing the opportunity to be better educated. Being better educated allows us to make better decisions, and all of our decisions right now are important not just to us, but to the health and well-being of others.
Social media can be viewed as either a fountain of information or a morass. Weeding through posts and scrolling past upsetting comments is a skill that can be honed over time. If you use social media primarily to see new babies and weddings and anniversaries, you know your tolerance of other kinds of posts. Move past those or temporarily unfollow people whom you may like as friends, but whose social media posts upset you.
The information we consume can have a direct correlation to our anxiety and stress levels. Weed out what you don’t need, take in what is helpful, and keep looking at those babies and puppies!
CONTROL YOUR UNDERLYING HEALTH
We will not necessarily be able to control whether we become ill. We may be exposed to the virus no matter how careful we are. This goes back to our inability to control the behavior of others. But we can control our underlying health.
Get some exercise every day. If the sun is out, get outside and soak up some vitamin D. Take vitamins. Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Do something every day to stimulate your mind – draw, work a puzzle, read a book, do needlework, practice a musical instrument, start learning a foreign language.
This can be a time when we actually improve our underlying health because many of us have the time and ability to focus on it right now. Be intentional with eating habits. If you’re tempted to snack, but you’re really not hungry, take a walk around the block or go out and water the flowers. Distract yourself. Then give yourself a pat on the back. You are taking care of yourself.
If you are a caregiver for a loved one, don’t carry the whole load yourself. Timesavers offers respite care, short-term care, recuperative care, and dementia care. All of these options for assistance can help you maintain good physical, emotional, and mental health. This will be a long road. Don’t expect so much of yourself that you burn out. You can control your choices.
CONTROL YOUR PURPOSE
Having a purpose every day can and will change your life. While your purpose normally may be tied to a job you are not currently working, perhaps your purpose during this time can be to lift the spirits of others with phone calls, texts, and cards. Maybe you are the seamstress who can make masks for frontline workers.
We are all essentially purpose-driven at our cores. We are in a time when our purpose may be redefined, so don’t think because your daily routine has changed that you no longer can achieve your goals. Your path may just look a little different, and intentionality in naming that path is in your control.
We understand how unsettling uncertainty can be, but some things are within our control. Let’s focus on those and we will get through this together.
-by Elizabeth Downing
About the Author: Elizabeth Downing is Director of Outreach for Timesavers Concierge, Caregiving & Chauffeur. A 1982 graduate of WKU, Elizabeth found her passion in advocating and providing care for older adults and those with special needs. Timesavers seeks to raise awareness of issues relating to aging and caring for aging loved ones, and works to provide the highest quality care available. Elizabeth has completed a Certificate in Care Management from Boston University, is a Teepa Snow PAC Certified Independent Consultant, and facilitates a family caregiver support group each month.
