 Have you been feeling really anxious lately? According to a March 2022 survey by the American Psychological Association, 87% agreed that there has been a constant stream of crisis over the last few years. It also showed that stress, grief, and unhealthy coping are at historic levels. So to help you navigate this chaotic world, here are five pieces of life advice you need to know. Number one, acknowledge that the struggle is real. You feel overwhelmed and blindsided by everything that's happening. Experts often call these situations B-U-C-A. Volatile, since everything is changing faster than you can manage. Uncertain, because understanding and predicting events are impossible, so everything hits you as a surprise. Complex, as there are many forces and issues mixed up together that there's no clear cause and effect. Ambiguous, since what is happening and what might happen next can't always be described or interpreted with confidence. Research suggests that when the mind detects a prolonged, generalized sense of unsafety, it reverts to a chronic stress response, which can form a major health risk. This is most often triggered when uncertainty overwhelms everything in your life, including situations you once considered ordinary and when your social network becomes compromised. So when you constantly worry about the past or future, lose sleep or feel emotionally drained, remember that it's not just you and it's not just in your head. The struggle is real. Number two, avoid unhealthy coping. How do you respond when life gets overwhelming? If you're like most people, you'll probably avoid risk and ambiguity by doubling down on familiar routines, decisions and habits, but these might not be reliable or healthy. Comfort eating and drinking are on the rise, but these can lead to unhealthy weight gain and alcoholism which may end up just worsening your feeling of stress and lead you into a never-ending vicious cycle. According to a review of mental health over the past few years, published in American Psychologist, even subtle coping behaviors like denial, blame, venting and self-distraction are unhealthy and have been linked to higher levels of general anxiety and depression. So the next time you're tempted to cope in these unhealthy ways, remember that even if they may seem like the easy way out, they're only gonna make you feel worse. Number three, embrace uncertainty. Paradoxically, the best way to respond to buka is to embrace uncertainty. In psychology, we use a tool called the jihari window to clarify our knowledge. It's divided into four sections, things that everyone knows, things that are known to the self but not others, things that are known to others but not the self and things that are unknown to everyone. Usually, these quadrants are equally sized, but psychologist Susanna Wupon-Calvert has a radical suggestion. By redrawing the jihari window so that the unknown is by far the biggest quadrant, you come to realize that uncertainty is always a core part of your reality and that fighting it is a lost cause. Uncertainty is a constant feature of life that you should learn to be okay with experiencing not an intrusive enemy that you need to fight off. So the next time you feel anxious because you can't anticipate, understand or control something in your life, try to accept that you don't need to do those things to thrive and try to tolerate uncertainty as a familiar friend. Number four, ground yourself in the present. Are you always thinking of the past or worrying about the future? In moments like these, it's good to learn to be present. If you can ground yourself and thrive in the present, you can thrive at any time. As life is just a series of present moments, you could go for a walk and count your steps, take deep breaths and count them, eat something slowly and savor the flavor or listen to everything around you and focus on all the sounds. By grounding yourself in the present, distressing thoughts about the world of the past and the future will fade away and your inner voice will become clearer. So the next time your mind wanders to worries elsewhere, take the opportunity to embrace the safety and joy of the present moment. Number five, be open to learning and reinventing yourself. What do you tend to do when you're faced with a challenge? Do you run away or embrace a change? According to organizational psychologist, Michael Woodward, individuals who thrive best in Fuca are the ones who treat new experiences as opportunities are open to change and are completely flexible. Instead of treating the unknown as a source of fear and clinging to your comfort zone, commit to trying new ways to live your life, try out new hobbies, meet new friends or go to different locations. As Woodward quoted, what got you here won't get you there. In the future, everything you consider certain in life may be fleeting and you may need to reinvent yourself but this doesn't have to be scary as long as you consider that you are in control of your response rather than the world unfairly forcing you to change. So the next time something unexpected is thrown your way, grasp it as an opportunity for growth, learning and insight. Do you think you can use these tips mentioned in this video? Let us know in the comments below. If you found this video helpful, be sure to like, subscribe and share this video with those who might benefit from it. And don't forget to hit the notification bell icon to get notified whenever Psych2Go posts a new video. The references and studies used in this video are added in the description below. Thanks for watching and see you in our next video.