The world context feels scary to me at the moment, with each day’s news bringing new and unpleasant surprises, and with the global political landscape seeming to shift at a more rapid pace than usual. Together with the greyness of the first months of the year, and a particularly lingering cough, I’ve found myself feeling at times that I am pinging between different responsibilities: those at work and those at home, with little energy for anything else. It’s made me think about a couple of different psychological ideas which I find helpful.

The first is Mark Freeston’s work on tolerating uncertainty, which I found helpful during the pandemic, when there was a lot of uncertainty around globally, and when personally I was also pregnant and managing the unknown-ness that comes with that. Freeston suggests that at times of uncertainty we can help ourselves by managing our information diet and focussing on very local signs of safety. Instead of getting news alerts, which can keep us in a continual state of anxiety, we can choose when and how to access news, and focus as well on small things that remind us that in the here and now we are safe. Whether that is a cup of coffee in our favourite mug, or taking a moment to stand outside and soak in what we can see and hear for a few minutes, or eating some food that we find comforting… small things consciously done throughout the day can make a difference to how safe we feel. I find this advice so helpful in a range of situations that I feel like I’m always returning to it!

For me, recently, I’ve been trying to use social media more intentionally (and thinking about which platforms I want to stay on or not). Which in turn has got me back on this blog as I feel like I’d like to use platforms that are a bit more in my control to share my writing. I’ve also been drinking my favourite tea (Cardamom Redbush) from a favourite mug (from my son which says mama on it). 

The second is an idea which comes from work on managing when we have too much to do. At times of pressure it can feel like we have to keep running, running, running, in order just to keep up with our own to do lists. Sometimes it isn’t possible to take a long break, but it can be possible to make sure that we have micro breaks, and to make sure we are doing some small things that bring us joy. 

I thought of this when I was coming out of the lurgy which felt like it lasted for 100 years, and when I finally felt well enough to return to swimming. I felt such happiness just from being in the water again, and it reminded me how important it is for me to make sure I go as regularly as I am able. 

I’m hoping that these three things: managing my information diet, finding signs of safety and moments of joy, will take me into the beginning of Spring in a good state of mind. That and the beautiful blue skies which I feel so grateful for. I hope they help you too if you give them a try. 

Resources

For more on these ideas there’s a podcast where I interview Mark Freeston here 

And both Mark Freeston’s work and the work on moments of joy is in my most recent book, A Year To Change Your Mind. You can read it or listen to an abridged version on BBC Sounds. 

I’m also writing a newsletter, where I share some of these ideas and others. If you’d like to sign up you can subscribe at www.lucymaddox.co.uk – I’d love to be able to email you like this and it’s all free – no subscriber tiers.