Managing Uncertainty: Gentle Ways to Support Yourself During Turbulent Times
I originally considered using the phrase “coping with uncertainty” for the title of this blog, but it didn’t feel honest. There is no coping with in-your-face acts of violence, pervasive fear, and blatant racism. This past month, actually, this past year, has felt unbearably heavy.
In times of national unrest and collective stress, it’s common to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or emotionally drained. The constant exposure to distressing news, social media, and painful conversations takes a toll not just emotionally, but physically as well. While we can’t control what’s happening around us, we can take intentional steps to care for ourselves, protect our energy, and help steady our nervous systems.
Here are a few simple, grounding practices to help you be intentional and pro-active in helping regulate your nervous system:
1. Take Things ONE BREATH, One Minute, One Hour, One Day at a Time
When everything feels heavy, it helps to narrow your focus. Seeing, hearing, and feeling so much at once can overwhelm our nervous system. Breaking life down into smaller, more manageable increments allows your body and mind to experience brief pauses and those pauses absolutely matter. Finding a breathing rhythm that works for you, such as box breathing, roller coaster breathing, or a simple counting breath is an essential way to support everything we’re carrying inside. My go to is a 5-6-7 counting breath: inhale through the nose for 5 counts, hold for 6, then exhale slowly through the mouth for 7 counts. Repeat at least three times, or until you notice a subtle shift or release in your body’s tension.
One breath, one minute at a time.
2. Move Your Body Every Day
Movement helps release emotions stored in the body. This doesn’t have to be intense or structured. Stretching, walking, weight-lifting, dancing around your living room, or even journaling can be powerful. The goal is simply to create flow and connection between your body and emotions. My personal favorite is a combination of deep stretching, weight-lifting, and dancing around like a total goofball with my kids and husband because sometimes the most regulating thing we can do is move, laugh, and be fully human together.
Movement creates flow between your body and emotions.
3. uSe Simple Somatic tools to reset
Somatic practices support the nervous system by helping it reset and recover from vicarious trauma we absorb through the news and other media outlets. Try deep breathing, humming, washing your face with cold water or taking a short cold shower, listening to bilateral stimulation music or Disney music (Did you know Disney music actually promotes regulation by turning on our middle ear muscle? Learn more interesting facts about how our bodies respond to stress and ways to build and manage regulation from this video on polyvagal theory). All of the tools above are gentle vagal toning exercises that promote regulation and healing. And seriously, go play the soundtrack to Moana and sing at the top of your lungs!
Vagal toning exercises promote regulation and healing.
4. Spend Time With Safe, Supportive People
Connection is regulating. Spend time with people who calm you, make you laugh, and help you feel safe and grounded. Shared moments of laughter and ease can be profoundly restorative during stressful times. Connection can also come from spending time with animals, volunteering, or engaging in supportive online communities where you feel understood and less alone. Whether it’s a meaningful conversation, caring for a pet, offering your time to others, or finding connection in shared experiences, these moments remind our nervous system that we are supported and not facing things alone. If you can’t get to your people in person, who can you call or send a text to this week to connect with?
Connection is regulating.
5. Limit Screen Time and News Exposure
Staying informed doesn’t require constant exposure. Consider setting boundaries around news and social media consumption, such as a 15 minute window to check what’s happening to be informed enough. Did you know you can set timers on your social media and news accounts? When you do engage online, seek out positive content, such as nature photography, animals, or uplifting creators. Ending your day with something light or funny can help your nervous system settle. Laughter truly is a powerful medicine. Here are some of my favorite accounts to follow: @beautifuldestinations @bloopersbehindthescenes @crusoe_dachshund @upworthy
Ending your day with something light or funny can help your nervous system settle.
A final thought: Disturbing situations around our nation and world arise to call our attention. They invite awareness, reflection, and, ultimately, change. Responding does not have to look one specific way. For some, it may mean marching in the streets; for others, it may look like making donations, contacting representatives, offering support to those in need, sharing messages of healing and hope, or one that we can all start right now: intentionally practicing how to build and manage regulation in our minds and bodies. Meaningful change begins when we allow ourselves to acknowledge the heartbreak rather than bypass it. From that place of honesty and compassion, and by intentionally using the practices outlined above, we are better able to respond in ways that align with our values and support both personal and collective healing.
Let’s stay connected. I would love to hear which Instagram accounts you enjoy following that make you smile, laugh out loud, or give you a sense of awe and wonder. Drop them in the comments below!
Want to work together to practice some of these ideas in session? Please reach out for a free 15-minute consultation:
📞 (303) 847-5224
📧 wildstrengththerapy@gmail.com
📷 @wildstrengththerapy