These times of uncertainty, with multiple COVID variants to consider, microdecisions about where to go and who to spend time with, hypervigilance and scattered attention, can be exhausting. Maybe you just want to feel in control. Or you want to know how things are going to turn out. Yet, uncertainty tends to be the bedrock of our reality – whether or not we’re in the midst of a stinkin’ pandemic.
So, it’s important to seek out ways to live with uncertainty and the unknown as a way to keep on keeping on. One way is finding your flow. When we get in the zone and find activities that generate a sense of “flow,” it can provide “exquisite distraction” from our inner turmoil and the world’s problems, according to Kate Sweeney, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, who studies the emotions of uncertainty.
These flow activities are ones where we engage in a combination of work and play, and time seems to melt away. “Almost any activity can be a flow activity if you pay attention to a few features,” Sweeney said, such as…
- Be challenged so you’re not bored
- Receive feedback on your efforts
- Establish clear goals to increase the challenge level, as needed
Discover more about Handling Uncertainty and many other student topics in our BRAND NEW 10 Student Mental Health & Well-Being Workshops Training Guide.
