"We need to stop expecting ourselves to navigate uncertain seasons like we have a damn roadmap"-Julie

There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from not knowing. Not knowing what’s next. Not knowing how things are going to unfold. Not knowing whether you should prepare, hold on, let go, speak up, stay quiet, or just keep pushing through. And if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed within that, this is COMPLETELY normal. You’re responding to uncertainty.

Sometimes this might look like overthinking every possible outcome. Sometimes it looks like laughing with people while your brain is running 20+ tabs in the background, silently. And sometimes it looks like numbness. We need to stop expecting ourselves to navigate uncertain seasons like we have a damn roadmap. Shift your expectations. There is no “right” direction. There is no “right” way to cope. There is no workbook, no roadmap, no perfect sequence of steps that will tell us what to do next. If you’ve worked with me, you’ve probably been supportively challenged to hold space for some of these things before: uncertainty, discomfort, grief, change, and the reality that sometimes we simply don’t know.

Uncertainty has a way of making us feel like we need to control everything and have a problem to solve. Like if we just think a little harder, prepare a little more, or somehow anticipate every possible outcome, we can protect ourselves from what comes next. But we can’t. Sometimes the work is learning to stay present with what is, trust ourselves a little more, and allow the next step to reveal itself when it’s ready. And if today all you managed to do was get through the day while carrying emotions you didn’t ask for...that counts! We all need a reminder of that sometimes, and I am absolutely including myself in that statement. I literally have a quote in my office that reminds me of just this:

“Sometimes it’s okay if the only thing we did today is breathe.”

So breathe. Give yourself some grace. Be gentle with yourself and maybe even a little gentler with the people around you, because you never really know what someone is carrying behind the version of themselves that they’re showing the world.

Kindly,

Julie