Expat & Travel Advice – Page 3 – A Bus On A Dusty Road

We all know one thing to be certain in life: uncertainty. It’s like a roller-coaster ride of emotions, good and bad, with twists and turns along the way. Uncertainty can lead us down dark paths or open up new pathways filled with possibilities… yet we’re still uncertain how it will end. We fumble around until, eventually, something clicks into place, and we feel more secure. But what if there were things you could do today to help you cope with uncertainties? Read on to discover 6 tips you can use to survive and thrive in uncertainty. Uncertainty and Living Life Examples In life, there are certainties that we can rely on - death, taxes, and the ever-changing nature of our favorite television shows. But unfortunately, one thing is for certain: uncertainty. Yes, it's true: uncertainty is inherent in all aspects of life. We don't know what tomorrow will bring or what unforeseen events might happen today. Suddenly you can get sick, have an accident or lose a job. All things that can suddenly turn your world completely upside down. Uncertainty can be stressful and take its toll on us mentally and physically. The good news is that with awareness and thoughtful planning, we can triumph over uncertainty rather than letting it overpower us. Uncertainty is part of living life and perhaps one of the most complex parts of life. Not everyone handles uncertainty in life the same way. Here are a few things to do about uncertainty: Not Everyone is the Same - Some people handle uncertainty better than others. Some people love to take risks and live unpredictably, while others cannot. Some Will Feel Overwhelmed - Others will feel overwhelmed. Even if they are not at risk of losing their jobs, homes, or future. But they may feel overwhelmed by all the uncertainty around them. Some People Cannot Handle Change - Not everyone will handle change similarly. Some people can handle change in their lives much more accessible than others. We all must understand when dealing with others to do so with love and compassion. Some will feel hopeless about the uncontrollable circumstances around them, even if what is happening does not directly impact them. 6 Tips To Survive, Thrive and Cope Despite Uncertainty in Life In these unsettling times, it feels like almost anything can happen. So many of us are struggling to cope with the uncertainty and chaos so pervasive in life right now. But here's the truth: you don't have to feel lost or overwhelmed when faced with change and insecurity. Despite what we can’t control, there are concrete steps you can take - internally and externally - to survive, thrive, and even grow from whatever pivotal moments come your way. Here are six tips to help you learn how to make the most out of any unpredictable situation while managing stress levels better. No matter what kind of challenges come our way during this time, using these strategies can make sure you stay as prepared as possible for any type of transition life throws at you! Tip 1 - Look Uncertainty Right In Eyes Being an ex-pat and living overseas has taught me that uncertainty is always there. I have lived in so many third-world countries where changes that impact my life will happen immediately. When those changes happened, I screamed, complained, and even tried to ignore them. But I have learned that I had to look uncertainty right in the eyes and find a way to solve the issue. For example, the government may pass a new law that will impact us, and they will not even bother to tell anyone about it until it comes into force. Suddenly I may be required to pay a fine for a law I had no idea existed or was even relevant. In times like that, we have no choice but to look at that uncertainty right in the eyes and deal with the problem. Here are things to help you look uncertainty right in the eyes: Stop Procrastinating And Do What You Need To Do One of the big ways that people do not handle uncertainty is that they procrastinate. Maybe they do not decide as they hope it will magically go away. The truth is that procrastination often makes the problem worse than it would have been if we had acted sooner. And usually, it makes the problem last longer than it should have. Stop Pretending Your Uncertainty Is Not Real Another form of not dealing with uncertainty is simply pretending it is not a problem, so you do nothing. You may talk yourself and others into saying it does not matter and it is just not real, so we do not need to worry about it. If you feel like a miracle will happen, you are waiting for that miracle to come about any day now, so you do nothing. Tip 2 - Stop Trying to Control Others to Handle or Deal With Your Uncertainty When uncertainty comes, we want to bury our heads in our pillows, cry ourselves to sleep, and then wake up when it is all over. The truth is it may never really be over. This could be a new reality that we will need to learn to deal with. Or we may try to control others to ensure that certainty does not happen. So we spend all our effort, and time and worry about controlling people we can never control. Here are some ways we may try to control others to handle uncertainty: Stop Seeking Constant Reassurance From Others Do you make a decision and then excessively ask people, “Do you think I made the right decision? “.Or “What do you think about my decision?” Or maybe you are endlessly researching a topic online or asking those you consider experts hoping they will decide for you. This is all just a way for you to try to take the decision-making away from yourself and put it in the hands of someone else so that you are not really responsible for the decision or go wrong. The truth is that even if you try to give that decision to someone else, you are still ultimately responsible for all your decisions. So you should make a decision, take responsibility, and live with any consequences - good or bad. Stop Micromanaging People And Their Reactions or Emotions One of the hardest things I have had to learn in running my own business was to allow people to make their own decisions and make their own mistakes. This is the same thing that a parent must learn with a child. They may want to micromanage and force them to make the right decision, but this behavior never works. Worse, you may try to force others to change their behavior so that you can try to have more certainty in your life and ensure life is more predictable for you. This may give you comfort, but it is not a long-term solution to your life uncertainties. Do Not Just Leave Your Problem Up To God Others may take the other extreme and expect God to tell them everything to do if they pray. Everything from where to go that day, what to buy, who to talk to, etc. This is also a way for you to try to give your life responsibility to someone else; in this case, it is a higher being - God. You somehow expect or want God to give you the miracle of parting the Red Sea right in your front yard. You expect these miracles to happen without having to do anything but believe in God. Tip 3 - Learn to Accept Uncertainty as a Part of Life Uncertainty is a part of life. Something could happen whenever you get in a car and drive somewhere, go to a place to eat or even go outside your house. It is all part of life and living. Yes, sometimes bad things can and do happen, but most other times, they do not. Whether we like it or not, uncertainty is part of life and life. Life has risks associated with it. If you go outside your house, get in a car, and stop at a red light, you cannot be 100% sure others also stop. If you eat at a restaurant, you are not 100% sure you will not get sick. If you walk outside your house, you are not 100% sure what will happen. Life has risks we cannot always control. That is just a fact of life and living. Tip 4 - Focus on What You Can Control In Your Life We often worry about uncertainty as we focus on things we cannot control. We are worried or obsessed with another person as we can not control them and their actions. Other times we may be worried about world events, even though it is very little, we can do about them. To deal with uncertainty, focus on what you can and can control in life, not who or what you cannot control. Here are some facts: You Can Only Control Yourself, Not Others The truth is that you can only really control yourself. You can not control your spouse, children, co-workers, neighbors, or friends. The only person you can control in life is yourself. You Cannot Control World Events. This may seem very obvious, but the truth is that you cannot control what is happening in the world or much less your own neighborhood. All you can do is decide the best way to deal with what is happening in your life at the moment. Tip 5 - Find Healthy Ways to Manage Stress and Anxiety To Deal With Uncertainty Find healthy ways in your life to manage your stress and anxiety, and this will, in turn, help you better manage uncertainty. Here are some positive ways you can manage your stress and anxiety, which will help you better deal with uncertainty: Exercise Can Help Manage Stress It has been shown that exercise can help to increase your overall health and well being. Here are some ways that exercise can help you with stress and anxiety Pumps up your good endorphins - Daily exercise will help you pump up your good endorphins. This, in turn, helps your mood and helps you to feel good. That better mood will give you clarify in making better decisions in life. Meditation in Motion - Exercise is considered to be meditation in motion. When you exercise, you usually think about exercise and not your problems and worries. It improves your sleep - Studies have shown that that exercise will improve your sleep. A Good Nights Sleep Can Help Manage Your Stress and Anxiety Levels Get plenty of sleep and be on a set sleep schedule as much as possible. I find that getting a good night's rest and getting to bed at a decent hour helps me the following day since I am not tired, but I also feel better about myself and life. Eat A Healthy Diet Eating and maintaining a healthy diet can help you maintain and prevent mood swings. Your diet has been shown to affect your mood. Learn to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and avoid sugary and processed foods. Tip 6 -Practice Meditation and Religion In Your Life Studies have shown that having a daily practice of meditation and/or having religion in your life can help you cope with uncertainty and cope better in life. In a study on religion and health, Dr. Harold G. Koenig, director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology, and Health at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina, discovered the following: "People who are more involved in religious practices and who are more religiously committed seem to cope better with stress. One of the reasons is because [religion] gives people a sense of purpose and meaning in life, and that helps them to make sense of negative things that happen to them. A person's religious community can also provide support and encouragement through hard times." Dr. Harold G. Koenig Your belief in religion, your religious community, and your belief in God can support and encourage you through the hard times, including those times of uncertainty. Meditation is also known to help reduce stress and help people gain a focus in life that they would not have without meditation. This could be daily repeating a phrase; many Buddhist monks in the monastery repeat phases. Set aside time for daily devotion, study, and prayers. They all help you to better deal with uncertainty and stress in life. In times of uncertainty, knowing how to deal with change properly, anxiety, depression, or just the tough decisions you are being faced with, can help if you work to follow these six simple steps. If you work to find ways to handle uncertainty in life, it can help make a difference in your ability to really live life to the very fullest. At A Bus On A Dusty Road, we talk about travel, life, and ex-pat living. We are all about “Living Life As A Global Citizen.” We explore social, cultural, and economic issues and travel. We would love to have you be part of our community. Sign up for our newsletter to keep up-to-date by clicking here. If you have any questions, you can contact me, Anita, by clicking here. Listen to our Podcast called Dusty Roads. You can find it on all major podcast platforms. Try out listening to one of our podcasts by clicking here. Subscribe to our A Bus On A Dusty Road YouTube Channel with great videos and information by clicking here. Related Questions How Can You Handle Stress and Pressure In Your Life? Are you ever traveling and suddenly something completely out of your control happens? You miss a flight, a car cuts you off in front of you, your passport is stolen or you get hurt while traveling? Many of us have been in these times of stress and uncertainty in life. Alia and Thomas Crum wrote a fascinating article in the Harvard Business Review that stated that stress in our lives could actually prove to be a good thing. Especially if we learn to see the stress, then own up to the stress and finally use the stress to our advantage as we deal with it. To discover more, you can read our blog on 3 Easy Steps to Handle Stress and Pressure In Life by clicking here. How To Travel Alone and Make Friends? To travel alone and to make friends, you must first learn how to be alone by yourself and enjoy yourself. Smiling at other people can help to break the ice. Go up to talk to new people and get to know them. Be a good listener and get to know others. Don’t be afraid to try a new language. And finally, when you travel alone and start to make friends around the world, you quickly learn that there are many good people in this big wide world of ours. You can read more by reading 6 Steps to Help You Travel Alone And Make A Ton Of New Friends by clicking here.