Journaling about uncertainty

As a former freelancer, uncertainty used to feel like an exciting promise. If it were a colour, it was a warm strawberry rouge, like something good just around the corner or dancing on the horizon. When the pandemic hit uncertainty turned darker and cloudier. If it were a paint chip it would be called Looming Storm. Possibility dimmed and invisible threats lurked. The feelings I attach to uncertainty now include shock, fear, anxiety and confusion. And yet, there’s still a distant splotch of rose gold on the horizon—in the idea this is temporary. We don’t know how long it will go on, but it’s not forever.

Esther Perel, a psychotherapist and relationships expert, says at the moment “we’re all dealing with Prolonged Uncertainty—the sense that, not only do we feel uncertain, we don’t know when our feeling of uncertainty will end.”

What can we do with these complex feelings around uncertainty now? Identifying them is a good step. If it’s tricky to put words on them, start by imagining what colours you think of when you think of uncertainty. Is there any sense of movement in these feelings? Could they shift over time?

I invite you to journal with me on this week’s question: what is my relationship to uncertainty?

I’ll be journaling with you!

Warm rose gold thoughts,

Suzanne

Journaling with @suzannealyssaauthor is a new weekly series on Instagram where we explore healing, growth and change. Follow me, and we’ll write together!