Dealing with Uncertainty

The View - July 23, 2021

How quickly the landscape changes! We find ourselves back in a situation where new information and updated recommendations and restrictions are being released daily. It makes my brain spin and even alerts from my phone send a jolt through my body. What next? At school we are trying to plan for future events, camps, excursions, sporting activities – all with a sense of uncertainty. Will the restrictions be lifted or increased? What will the future weeks and months hold?

Neuroscientists tell us that our brains seek certainty. We feel uncomfortable with the unknown. When we face uncertainty, there are some predictable ways we respond: worrying, imagining the worst-case scenario, searching for information, being hyper-vigilant, seeking reassurance and responding emotionally. You could no doubt identify with some of these behaviours in yourself and your children.

Experts in neuroscience tell us that there are things we can do to help build our tolerance for uncertainty:

  • Control what you can. Simple tasks such as organising, sorting or cleaning provide a soothing sense of control.
  • Set a daily schedule and stick to it. Routines help build a sense of predictability which is calming for the brain.
  • Bring goals close. Big goals can seem unachievable, especially in uncertain times. Set smaller, short term goals to provide a sense of satisfaction and progress.
  • Move your body. Exercising gets you from operating in your mind, to operating with your body. You are taking action and taking control! This provides much needed respite for a stressed brain. 
  • Support others. Worrying creates self-focus. When you look to identify and support the needs of others, your focus shifts. Human connection is also great for your brain.

Avondale School is your community. We are working to ensure that our students are safe, have predictability and consistency, and that their learning and wellbeing are supported. However, our strongest foundation for certainty comes from our unshakeable belief that God never changes and He is with us always. As we work together as a Christian community to face the challenges of the current circumstances, we are helping to build a generation of young people who can be resilient, capable and confident.

True, the grass withers and the wildflowers fade, but our God’s Word stands firm and forever. Isaiah 40:8

Mrs Debra Cooper

Principal