How To Be Certain In Uncertain Times

Only thing that is certain in life is uncertainty.  Things don’t always go the way you had planned.  No one has a complete view of what the future holds.  That’s all a part of life.

It’s like watching a movie.  Movies get bad reviews when they are predictable.  If you already knew the ending you probably wouldn’t go watch it. 

The easiest way to be certain in uncertain times is to create some structure.  Here are four ways on how to be certain in uncertain times.

1. Morning Routine

It’s important to have some structure in your day.  This includes having a game plan for when you wake up.  Your morning routine could be washing your face, brushing your teeth, drinking a full glass of water, and reviewing your schedule for the day ahead.  You may also include things like exercise, meditation, journaling, and reading to get you in the right frame of mind for the day.  Additionally, try to stay off social media and checking email for at least one hour after you wake up.  Don’t let someone else’s agenda take over your day.  Devote that time to you and doing things that will put you in a good mood.

2. Sleep Schedule

Create a set wake up and bed time.  Stop sleeping in and letting your morning turn into the afternoon.  These shifts in your circadian rhythm sleep schedule effects your body.  You’ll end up feeling off during the day.  Schedule a time to wake up each morning.  Then set a time to go to bed at night.  In the evening, don’t just turn off the tv and hop into bed.  Wind down an hour before bed by turning off electronics, taking a bath, or reading.  Let your mind relax at night instead of visually stimulating it with flashing blue light images from the tv.  A set wake up and bed time creates some predictability in your day.

3. Time Block

Block out chunks of time during the day for specific activities.  For example, 8am-9am morning routine, 12pm-12:30pm lunch, 1pm – 2:30pm art project, 3pm-4pm afternoon walk, etc.  Create blocks of time anywhere from half an hour to two hours so you have an idea of what your day looks like.  Leave a 15 minute buffer between activities too.  You never know when you’ll get side tracked or an activity takes longer than you planned.  It’s important to allot for drive time to get to your next activity too.  You may need time to rest so your mind can easily switch tasks to the next activity.  When you switch from one task to another you mind has trouble staying focused.  Time block to give yourself uninterrupted time dedicated to one particular activity.

4. Meal Plan

If your life is feeling uncertain right now then the best thing you can do is meal plan.  Often times when you’re not sure what your day is going to look like it’s easy to reach for unhealthy food.  However, plan out your meals for the next few days so you’ll make healthy choices.  This will be one less thing you’ll have to worry about and stress over.  Do all your grocery shopping and gather your simple recipes for easy to make meals this week.

Take back control of your life and create some certainty in uncertain times.  Start by having a morning routine.  Set a wake up and bed time to stick to.  Time block your day so you have an idea of what you need to accomplish.  Lastly, meal plan so you’re eating healthy meals.  These four things will help you create more certainty in uncertain times.