Another month. Another season. Nothing seems to change day to day, yet everything has changed. The degree to which we have been experiencing sustained uncertainty is not only stressful, but also unhelpful and potentially destructive. To make matters worse, these days it's easy to respond to stressful situations with a knee-jerk reaction. I know I'm struggling with reigning in my judgments of others because of a heightened reactivity to sensitive issues. I have been exploring how to be less reactive and more proactive and in control of my feelings that are triggered by fears of the unknown.

I recently came across the Improv Paradigm which details how we can better navigate through uncertain situations and feelings through listening, openness, and collaboration. Like many worthwhile things in life, managing our uncertainty through active listening, flexible thinking, and engaged problem solving is effortful and requires a more intentional approach in how we handle our challenges. For me, that means taking things one step at a time and trying to notice when I feel stressed and then slow down my thinking in order to reign in my reactivity. It's a challenge for sure, but I have noticed it helps.

The act of noticing my feelings and slowing down my response has given me some sense of control in the midst of all that is out of my control. This is important because with control comes a sense of calm. My long lost friend, calm. If your sense of calm has also gone AWOL, here are a few suggestions to bring it back. Namaste!