Navigating the unrelenting uncertainty of COVID
Rural Australia is a living text book of managing uncertainty. While many farmers are grateful for the prosperous season of 2021, generally speaking, farmers are also well versed at leading meaningful lives through difficult times. They are experts at making decisions with incomplete information.
Right now across both urban and rural landscapes, the air is thick and edgy. The tension is palpable. Opinions are plentiful yet certainty is in short supply. We are supposed to be recovering and relaunching from Years 1 and 2 yet we find ourselves reeling with even more uncertainty.
A third year of less certainty and more frustration. A third year of less trust in the competence or capacity of our public systems and policy makers and more groaning or swearing at politicians verbosely addressing press conferences.
A third year of making tens of tiny important decisions a day, hundreds a week, thousands a month all with incomplete information. Decisions that keep you and your family as safe and as functional as circumstances allow. It’s exhausting to think about, let alone live it.
Eight things I’ve learnt from the land when it comes to managing uncertainty are bound by a common factor. They rely on the personal power of the human in charge.
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Drafting thoughts
Thought drafting is a useful trick for choosing which thoughts to focus on. It is an adaptation of Stephen R Covey’s Circle of Concern and Influence. To use a cricket parlance, some balls need to be let go through to the keeper, some need to be carefully blocked and others hit for six. Time and energy are freed up to focus on what really matters.
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Dial up your awareness of yourself and others
Emotions are data, and by monitoring our own and others’, we can guide our thinking and actions. This helps manage the uncertainty and make constructive decisions under pressure. It helps to be mindful of other peoples experiences and how best to relate cooperatively. Awareness is the first step of any negotiations beit coaxing the teenager to isolate in their room, reassuring the primary schooler that they are safe or navigating with work colleagues another round of changed plans.
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Maintain resilience
Two years in and our reserves are dwindling. Adapting to changing circumstances is a crucial trait of highly effective humans according to resilience expert Kathryn McEwen. Resilience is like a navsat for the brain. Resilience is buildable– it’s not entirely an inherent trait. Resilience varies with life’s pressures. Resilience allows us to mitigate external factors outside of our control.
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Shift uncertainty to possibilities by replacing fear with acceptance
Farmers have got better at placing fear with acceptance and planning for several possible outcomes, especially now the climate is so variable. The same goes for COVID Planning. Try to accept that there are several possible futures and plan for a range of possibilities.
Think of something you need to plan for- going back to school or work or planning the next holiday.
Assess the current situation: What do you know? What don’t you know? What are three possibilities and what do you know about the odds of each situation occurring? What do you need to plan for each scenario. And, most importantly, repeat the process each time a major change occurs.
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Own less stress
“ Stress is not the problem, the problem is lack of recovery” according to performance expert Mark McKeon. Stress prevents grounded thinking. In pressure situations, a useful skill is to be able to listen to others’ angst, without absorbing entirely. The heat of a crisis is busy and demanding, often with no simple answers. Practical tips include getting adequate sleep, eating well, exercising, and scheduling fun and relaxation. These things all add to our resilience bank.
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Ditch the judgement and replace with kindness
Counterproductive decision-making in times of stress is normal. When uncertainty and stress are rife, flight or fight mode kicks in and tends toward emotional decision-making rather than rational. Not everyone may heed your sensible ideas, or you may find yourself behaving in regretful ways. When trying to encourage others, remember you cannot control their decisions and actions.
Be kind to yourself and remember you are human. Compassion to self and others is critical for navigating your way through uncertain times.
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Be clear on your role at any given time
You are leant upon as a friend, family member, or volunteer in the community and a professional– especially during difficult times. We only have a certain amount of energy, and under stress, we need to be judicious about where best to spend it. Your community sees you as a leader but beware rescuing others to your own detriment. Your family may be looking for a parent or a sibling or partner not a manager. Each role is different, and obligations will vary.
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Set boundaries to allow recovery time
Rest allows us to regain essential headspace. We can’t continually fill up our tank with the worries of the world and our own, without a relief valve. To serve yourself and others well, finding time to relax and recover is crucial. Set boundaries for recovery time and turn off your phone. Your mind, your body and your family will thank you for it.
It’s a tricky time everywhere and just like tricky times on the land have taught us, their will be times of less worry and more prosperity ahead, just when is unknown.
The information above is further thoughts and adaptation from the book Crops, Money, People and You by Dr Kate Burke.
Chapter 16 of the book includes how to activate your personal power and master the Art of Excellent Farming, with extension of all points in further detail.