Managing Uncertainty: Touchstones
The key to sitting in our discomfort is to have touchstones that calm our nervous systems. Touchstones can be rituals, objects, routines, and even other people.
We all experience moments and periods of uncertainty - in our work and in our lives. And no one enjoys that feeling of being unmoored and adrift. Our instinct is to head to shore - back to the familiar and stable.
But if we can sit in uncertainty long enough and embrace our feelings of instability, we are often rewarded with new creative insights and a renewed sense of direction.
The key to sitting in our discomfort is to have touchstones that calm our nervous systems. Touchstones can be rituals, objects, routines, and even other people.
I just landed back in the Sunshine Coast. The shift from the apartment in Seattle to Brandy, our van in Australia, could be jarring and disruptive. After all, I am transitioning from a walk-in closet to a drawer. I am going from a full kitchen to a two-burner induction cooktop. From a side-by-side refrigerator to a mini-fridge.
But I have touchstones that serve as connections between my two worlds and support me through moments of change.
Here’s a glimpse into my touchstones – perhaps a few might work for you as well.
Move your morning: When we awake each morning, we are most open to our inner voice. Pay attention to these early morning thoughts (and the emotions they evoke) that emerge before you check emails, texts, or socials. Then get going. Whether it’s a morning coffee, a walk, or a workout, what matters is the momentum. Your mind will recognize these rituals as elements where you have control, even if your experiencing uncertainty in other aspects of your work or life. When I return to vanlife, I double down on my morning routines. This is especially important given that our geographic location changes each day. I can't predict where I’ll go to sleep each night, but I can control what I do when I get out of bed each morning.
Write it down: Not everyone enjoys journaling, but there are lots of ways to jot down your thoughts without having to write endless pages. The point is to get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper. In doing so, you will feel more in control of your situation. You'll gain perspective. Honestly, there is something powerful about noting and knowing you are experiencing ambiguity and change. When you name it, it becomes just a tad more normalized. I have two journals and they travel with me wherever I go. One journal is basically a stream of consciousness. I simply write about whatever is in my head and let it all flow.
The other is a five-year journal. If you’re not familiar with a five-year journal, I encourage you to give it a go. The magic is that as you write each day, you can glance back at previous year’s entries on that same date. This offers such perspective on how you’ve managed change and uncertainty in the past and how far you’ve come.
Manage your physical environment: I am a huge believer in taking control of what we can control, and in many cases, this includes our immediate physical environment. Our vanlife adventures take us to new places and adventures which are, by design, new and novel. But I get to control the interior space. I am in charge of making sure things are dialed in and in their proper spot. So yes, my clothes are in order inside of my one drawer and, when life feels chaotic, at least I know where my toothbrush is!
Those are few of my touchstones. When you experience uncertainty and the unfamiliar in life or in work, what are your touchstones? How do you create rituals and routines amid the chaos?