In pursuit of both long-term and short-term ambitions, I’ve relocated from my hometown to another city (my current “city of dreams”), for the first time in my life. Three weeks in, I’m still struggling to feel settled in, the most obvious reason being that I’ve had to look for a permanent place to move, and before I move there I can’t establish permanent routines when it comes to grocery shopping, hobbies, chores, commuting, etc.
The lack of routine, structure, and familiarity have had a significant toll on my stress levels, productivity, and energy levels. I suspect that the high degree of uncertainty in my everyday life is causing moderate levels of stress as part of a partially hardwired physical response in the body. My normal emotional self-care techniques can’t prevent it.
Here are some ideas I’ve gathered specific to dealing with high uncertainty:
- Recognize that my brain likes to feel in control and it may be rebelling by making me resort to past addictions such as gaming or social media, since these are far more familiar than following new routines or even old ones in a new environment.
- Recognize uncertainty as an opportunity to set new habits.
- Make plans but stay flexible.
- Shift my focus on what I can control.
- Practice gratitude.
- Create and follow my visions.
- Set intentions and resolutions.
- Adopt rituals.
- Measure progress.
These are all good suggestions, though I feel this is the actual root of what I’m missing: I’ve been “coping” with all the tasks I need to do to get by and holding out for the move in date for my new place, but really what I need to do is decide unambiguously that I’m not just going to survive the uncertainty times ahead, I’m going to thrive throughout it.
INTP things 