I recorded this Zoom call in my January Journaling course and wanted to share it here with my fellow navel gazers, as it guides you through one of my favorite tools to short-circuit catastrophizing and perceive paths toward better outcomes. Grab your journal and gift yourself one pomodoro to shift your perspective.
The tool addresses any situation with an uncertain outcome that is causing you stress. If you share my tendency to imagine worst-case scenarios, you know what it’s like to stew in preoccupation over misfortune that has not and almost certainly will not come to pass. What is the purpose of this imaginative foresuffering?
It feels self-protective. You’re preparing for the worst. Only, how prepared are you really when a) you’re probably not going to encounter the situation you’re imagining and b) even if you do, you will have already exhausted yourself with anxiety? Moreover, if we only prepare for negative outcomes, we are unlikely to seize on the potential for good fortune, new opportunities, and grace.
Taking action to increase the chances of a positive outcome makes sense. Dwelling in mental anguish over an uncertain future does not. Use this video (or the written instructions that follow) any time you find yourself stuck in a stress rut.
Written instructions:
The prompt has three parts; you may want to give yourself five minutes for each.
Begin by calling to mind some uncertainty that has been stressing you out. Give yourself a moment to feel the worry.
Take a deep breath in, and then, with an exhale, remind yourself that uncertainty means there are many possibilities.
Focusing on the specific situation you identified, answer these three questions as thoroughly as you can.
What is the absolute best-case scenario I can imagine, if everything were to work out?
What is a more likely outcome that I would still find acceptable?
What is a "failure" that I could tolerate and still be okay?
BONUS: Read back over your replies and note any easy, simple actions that come through to help make the better outcomes more likely and/or strengthen your resilience should the less desirable situation come to pass.