Managing Uncertainty
I bet you know the feeling of uncertainty. When you feel stressed out, lost and have no idea what will happen in the future. Do not worry! You are not alone. In this unit, you will understand your feelings better and acquire skills that help you manage uncertainty.
Warm up
Before you learn how to manage uncertainty, let’s see what you and your buddy know about yourselves in these situations:
- Think about a situation when you felt lost and did not know what will happen to you or someone who is important to you. Try to remember the situation. Why were you worried? Who could you talk to? How was the situation solved (if it was at all)?
- Turn to your buddy and share your memories with each other. Listen to your buddy carefully.
- Do you realise similarities in your memories and emotions? Exchange your observations.
- And now, can you think of at least one other way to deal with the situation your buddy experienced? Be creative and think of alternatives. Share them with each other.
Learn
The pandemic or other uncertain situations may affect us mentally. Let’s get some tips for coping with such situations.
Before the pandemic, being at school or seeing friends and family were just some of the things you could be certain about. Unfortunately, these things have become uncertain. Schools have closed, you could not see your friends in real life, and you may not have seen some of your family members for a long time. Because of this uncertainty, you may have felt upset, annoyed, scared, worried, or even, just nothing. It is important to remember that to feel these emotions, any of these, is completely normal and I bet the adults around you have felt the same way too. You might have felt like this not only in the pandemic but in other stressful situations such as an illness, a war or moving to another place.
Click the download button to see some tips that might help you in such uncertain times.
These are the top tips for you: remember, it is very important to look after yourself in uncertain times and you don’t have to do it all by yourself!
Dive in 1
Now it’s time to discuss and write down the answers to the following questions with your buddy:
- How did the pandemic affect schools and friendships?
- List 4 tips to cope with uncertainty.
- Do you have your own method to cope with uncertainty?
- What are the 5 senses?
(Go back to the text and check if you guessed them right.)
Dive in 2
Together with your buddy, connect the following things with the 5 senses:
(One thing can match with more than one sense.)
- bee
- ice cream
- sun
- drum
- burnt cookies
- flowers
- meow
- strawberry
- dirty socks
- table
- chirping
- teddy bear
- pizza
- train
- printer
- boiling water
- waves
- drum
- fire
Create
Step 1
Together with your buddy, write down the main emotions: joy, sadness, anger, fear, worry, excitement. If you want to add more, feel free to do so!
Step 2
Now think in silence, alone: think about situations when you felt these emotions. Connect emotions with situations. Now think about your reactions when you were in a certain situation and felt a certain emotion (for example: I felt worried before an exam. -> It was hard to concentrate and I had a stomach-ache, I didn’t want to talk to anyone.). It is very important to understand how we react in certain situations and why. Write them down.
Step 3
Go back to your buddy and create a drawing on a big piece of paper. Draw emojis that represent the above listed emotions. Without mentioning names, write down some of your reactions under the emojis. Do you have common reactions with your buddy?
Reflect
Be each other’s happiness coach!
- Each of you writes down on separate pieces of paper at least 15 things that make you feel good and are good for you (it could be objects, persons, actions, places…). Be precise and concrete.
- When both of your are done, read them aloud.* to each other and while doing so, put each of these pieces of paper in front of you. Arrange them in order of importance.
Done?
- Which of those things are not (enough) present in your daily life and how could you change that? Help each other to make up strategies which can increase your well-being.
- In the future try to exchange regularly about each other’s well-being: are your strategies working? If not, inspire each other to try out new ones!
Conclude the unit with a postcard: what makes both of you happy?
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