The worst is yet to come

Honestly, I'm apprehensive to use the title for my article today because it implies doom and gloom for the future. However, according to a recent poll conducted by the Social Weather Stations, an increasing number of Filipinos are concerned about getting the virus, even more so than earlier viruses to which we have been exposed in recent years like swine flu, avian flu and SARS.

The anxiety originates not just from being sick, but also from the numerous consequences. This can involve being unable to work for a few weeks or months. As a result, the family is unable to meet their basic needs. And if we extend this to the rest of the community, the impact will be even greater.

Generally, there are plenty of things to be concerned about, ranging from personal concerns about job security or health to wider concerns about political disputes or natural disasters. Temporary anxiety can be a healthy reaction to uncertainty and risk, but continual and rising worry may be harmful.

We all seek ways to stay grounded in an uncertain environment. However, it can be difficult to regain our footing when the mind becomes fixed on worry, which is a natural response to uncertainty.

Worries that are productive and solvable are ones that we can address right away. For example, if we are concerned about our financial situation, we can create a spreadsheet and a monthly budget to keep our spending under control. It's far easier said than done, especially for the majority of Filipino families.

If a concern is solvable, devise a strategy that begins small. Focusing on what we can control keeps us from conjuring up a doomsday scenario in our heads. Consider asking ourselves, what is one element of one step we can take to get started?

We can't control the weather for our vacation, and we can't stop our employer from laying off employees, therefore our worries are unproductive and insoluble.

These, however, will come to an end. Every struggle and obstacle we experience has an end. This is the mindset we should acquire or begin to adopt.

Uncertainty is one of the most difficult things to accept, especially for people who suffer from anxiety. However, life is inherently unpredictable, and learning to tolerate and even embrace our dread of the unknown can improve our mental well-being.

So, if we're focusing on a problem that's out of your control, it will always be difficult. Which is more difficult? Trying to control it or resisting it.

We will have more time and energy to spend to the things we do have control over if we quit worrying about things we can't control. And this could be crucial to realizing our full potential.

Worry never removes tomorrow's misery; it only removes today's pleasure. Our burdens can become more linked to us than we are to them. All we have to do now is continue to hope that everything will work out.