One lesson Ive learned in 2020 is that Im not great at dealing with uncertainty.
Dont get me wrong; Ive always hated uncertainty.
And Im not alone.
Ded Pixto/Adobe Stock
Humans in general dont do great with the feeling of helplessness that often comes with uncertainty.
But when uncertainty is as unavoidable as it is right now, how do you deal?
The short answer: You focus on what you might control.
Focusing on the controllable applies across the board this year.
These small shifts in our focus can add up for sure.
But they werent helping my sense of helplessness as much as I wanted them to.
I needed, frankly, something that existed for thesole purposeof giving me something to control.
So I startedreorganizingeverything in my life.
The awful ever-expanding tangle of miscellaneous cords under my desk.
The list goes on.
Whenever Im feeling overwhelmed, theres always something else to organize.
Its mindless but time-consuming work that has spanned months now, and I couldnt be more grateful.
And if you cant find anything, it’s possible for you to create something.
Itook to Twitterto ask my followers how theyre dealing with uncertainty, and amazing answers came in droves.
Ive gotten really into sending out cards!
Its fun to organize addresses and birthdays in a way where I actually remember them.
Making Google slides for EVERYTHING.
School, work, my journal, random thoughts, rabbit hole research at 2 a.m., everything.
So many detailed presentations about the most random shit.
Making sure there are no dirty dishes in the sink before I go to bed.
Lots and lots of flowers and colorful pretty things.
Its so satisfying to see the end project come together.
Playing chess online (thank you,Queens Gambit).
Slowly organizing a Mason jar of beads by color.
@sammynickalls(Click through to see how beautiful!)
I now have a goal of creating one thing per day.
Ive gotten back into sewing, creative writing, video editing, etc.
Digital housekeepingmigrating to a better email service, organizing digital photos, prettying up my personal website.
Doing my hair every day.
I never used to care and just let it dry however, and now I actually blow-dry and style.
I have to make my bed every day.
Never made it ever until the pandemic.
Decorating my apartment and buying things Id been needing to buy.
TV stand, cat tree, dining room chairs.
But Im also broke, so all on a budget.
I started making candles because my apartment is dark and its more cost-effective.
I taught myself how to finally do winged eyeliner.
Sometimes I dont want to, but the consistency is comforting.
Diamond painting, kinda like paint-by-number but with little plastic gems.
I call it my Karen Krafts because I imagine that the target audience is middle-aged women.
Theyve been really helpful, though.
My partner and I have started doing jigsaw puzzles together.
It also feels like more deliberate time spent together than, say, just working in the same room.
I have done so much Sudoku as coping.
@allonsyjeni
Tweets have been edited for length and clarity.
