Uncertainty

I wrote this article a couple days into the government shutdown but never put it out there because I didn’t feel confident sharing it at the time.  I have come to realize that the effects of uncertainty and managing the unknown elements of our lives affects everyone in many ways.  Whether your uncertainty comes from a major life change (starting a new job, going off to college, or as a result of some disaster or tragedy), or from some pending event, either real or imagined (like attending an important meeting, participating in a sports event, attending Kokora or boot camp), the same stress reactions can take place.

The Wildland Fire Leadership program (www.fireleadership.gov) happened to post an article about this very topic on their facebook page yesterday.  It explains how the brain reacts to this type of stress and create challenges returning to normal routines.  I decided to share this article and my own thoughts because I don't believe in coincidents (I wouldn’t have felt obligated to finish this writing and share it if it wasn’t for this article being posted on Facebook.  It would of just sat in my pile of many unfinished and unshared stories.) 

     Post-Shutdown Recovery: 3 Ways to Get Your Brain Back on Track

Here is what I wrote about the topic of uncertainty...

Uncertainty is an incredibly powerful environmental condition that leads to so many negative emotions and stress reactions (not sure if its actually considered an "environmental” condition but either way has significant effect on our decision making).  Being a Government employee, I am feeling the uncertainty that goes along with being furloughed, it brings up emotions of anxiety, anger, mistrust, envy, and fear (to name a few).  There has also been a lot of uncertainty when it comes to opening our CrossFit gym (just compounding the stress and anxiety in my life at this time).

What causes uncertainty? What are its effects? How can we deal with uncertainty to actually make us stronger?

Uncertainty is caused when we lack information about the past or future.  It often results from expectations, of either something happening a certain way or by someone acting in some way or another.  Lack of clear and honest communication seems to be a big part of what leads to uncertainty.  Misinformation or ignorance (the opposite of Awareness) seems to feed uncertainty.

The effects, and how we handle uncertainty, is where this “condition” can become devastating.  This isn’t just an individual issue.   Uncertainty destroys morale.  A team or group loses motivation, trust, cohesion, and confidence.  I’ve seen this happen over and over in my profession of wildland fire fighting, whether we are talking about a hotshot crew, Incident Management Team, organization, or our Nation as a whole.  Communication breaks down, trust disappears, division occurs, and the team crumbles.  When I was a hotshot, I worked for a squad boss who never told us what was going on.  We would be driving to some unknown location, some unknown fire, with no clue what to expect.  It was because of this type of leadership that the crew experienced so many problems, people were disgruntled, there was lack of unity, and all sorts of interpersonal conflicts.  I also experienced this in my previous job.  My supervisor never provided clear direction or expectations.  I witnessed how this prevented a program from flourishing, limited creativity and innovation, and again, destroyed moral, motivation, trust, and everything required for a cohesive team.  An entire forestry program fell apart because of poor leadership and a climate of uncertainty.

Do you suppose that the collective uncertainty, created as a result of the economic recession and current political climate, has in some way created, or heighten, the harshly divide Nation and World we live in today?  Think about it... I won’t get too political here, but uncertainty and fear are very powerful motivating factors and seem to be a significant contributing factor.     

How does this all relate to CrossFit?  CrossFit, has taught me to be more present, or "in the moment" so to speak.  If you dwell on what is expected or get down on yourself for poor performance you can easily talk yourself out of even trying.  CrossFit builds mental toughness and self awareness.  In the middle of a killer workout we can not focus on finishing, you must take things one repetition at a time, breath, and focus on attaining small goals.  It is through attainment of these small goals that we build confidence, know where we need to improve, and learn not to dwell on our many failures.  

The article talks about uncertainty and how self awareness is a huge part of buffering the negative effects.  CrossFit  has become an important part of my life and a routine that builds self awareness and allows me to manage the uncertainty in my life.   A strong united team or community also helps.  The support we find from each other as a community has a powerfully positive effect. Keeping you going, keeping you motivated, holding each other accountable, ultimately filling you with positive thoughts and energy to push forward.   

I hope this helps encourage someone to better deal with the uncertainty in their own lives.  Don’t be afraid to reach out to those in your community, share your concerns, and try not to dwell on the things that are out of our control.  Trust your instincts and live with gratitude, not fear.