Message from Mary
Everyday in the past month, my inbox has been littered with messages that remind me that we live in a world increasingly filled with change and uncertainty. Let’s be honest. Uncertainty is the kryptonite for information-copers, those of us who cope by gathering and digesting information. I don’t like change and I know that I’m not alone. Decades of behavioral studies have documented that for any given behavior (radon testing in our basements, mammograms, weight loss, exercise etc.), 80 percent of us are not ready to make a change. We may be thinking about it, or even taking little steps toward our goal, but we’re not at the finish line of change. And why not? Change is uncomfortable, unfamiliar, anxiety-provoking – especially if we did not choose it or we expect it to cause some harm to ourselves or others.
There are ways that the past month has recalled for me some of the feelings of uncertainty during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when the world felt so disorienting. Every facet of our daily routines had to undergo some type of change, and our sense of risk and threat was palpable, immediate and ambiguous. In those early days, we could not tell who had COVID or what the outcome would be if we became infected. Messaging from some national leaders was confusing and counterintuitive to standard public health practices. It was difficult to trust that social spaces were physically or emotionally safe. There was a lot of fear, division and anxiety. Conventional strategies to feel comfort and safety were blocked (sharing a smile with a stranger at the grocery story) or involved new risks (working in health care, family gatherings).
The circumstances that we are living through today are different, but our nervous systems are always at the ready to remember the threats of the past and to warn us if danger looks or feels familiar. So, how can we stay grounded in this time of change? What can we do to cope with the change and uncertainty of today?
Here are a few strategies that you may wish to consider:
- Ground yourself in a trusted source of truth. Ambiguity is a breeding ground for rumors, false beliefs, speaking from emotion and chaotic functioning. Consider which of your news outlets is the one that has earned your trust for accuracy.
- Stick to the facts. During times of heightened ambiguity, it is important to remember that when we don’t know the actual outcome of a change, the brain will create a scenario to help us envision the outcome – even if it is a catastrophic vision. Catastrophizing intensifies anxiety or hopelessness. Staying close to the facts and the details gives us the most mental bandwidth to accurately understand the scope and depth of the problem at hand and effectively problem-solve it.
- Avoid news overload. Even though gathering more information is comforting, too much of a good thing is still too much. Notice when you have reached your limit of news consumption for the day.
- Reading is less emotionally triggering than listening or watching. Reading news from reputable sources tends to be less emotionally triggering than other sources such as TV, social media or other media sources.
- Tune into your needs. If you are feeling overwhelmed, on edge or spent, take a moment to notice how you are feeling. Naming our feelings helps us gain a better handle on our emotions and engages the pre-frontal cortex to begin the search for a strategy (preferably a healthy one) to help us get our needs met.
- Seek out positive emotions. During periods of heightened personal or social stress, we can lose our emotional flexibility, our capacity to draw on our resilience and to remain cognitively and emotionally nimble. Giving ourselves access to humor, awe, gratitude and acts of kindness to ourselves and others is the natural contrapose to stress, overwhelm and shutdown.
- Take action. When we find an appropriate outlet, taking action is the contrapose to helplessness and anxiety. Look for ways outlets that allow you to influence those that are outside your sphere of control.
Trusted resources for further information:
University Relations
Under the leadership of Vice President Michael Huber, the Office of the Vice President for University Relations connects Indiana University’s resources and expertise with key constituencies in business, industry and government, raising awareness of IU’s critical role in directly contributing to the vitality of the state and nation. You can sign up to receive reports on the development of legislative bills and initiatives at the state and federal level on the University Relations website.
American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) Advocacy
AAMC Advocacy is a community of students, residents, researchers, faculty members, physicians, and others who advocate on behalf of academic medicine to improve the health of people everywhere.
American Medical Association
The AMA is advocating at the federal and state levels on key health care issues impacting patients and physicians.
As a health care advocacy organization made up of dedicated and engaged physicians, the AMA works to inform lawmakers, guide decision-making and generate support for policies on critical issues that impact physicians, patients and the health care environment at both the national and state levels.
American Nurses Association
ANA believes that advocacy is a pillar of nursing. Nurses instinctively advocate for their patients, in their workplaces, and in their communities; but legislative and political advocacy is no less important to advancing the profession and patient care.
American Public Health Association
APHA, in coordination with its members and state and regional Affiliates, works with key decisionmakers to shape public policy to address today's ongoing public health concerns. Those include ensuring access to care, protecting funding for core public health programs and services and eliminating health disparities. APHA is also working on other critical public health issues including public health and emergency preparedness, food safety, hunger and nutrition, climate change and other environmental health issues, public health infrastructure, disease control, international health and tobacco control.