COPING WITH FEAR & UNCERTAINTY.

I was about to put out a blog post on something completely different today – beauty related – then I thought about it, and decided to go in another direction. A direction that most of us are dealing with right now. Fear and uncertainty.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has heightened uncertainty over the economy, employment, finances, relationships, and of course, physical and mental health.

With everything going on in the world right now, there’s A LOT of fear, unkind behaviour, stress, and tension.

And unfortunately, we can’t run from it. It’s here, it’s happening, and we all feel it. With Covid infecting so many people and taking innocent lives away, to the death and murder of George Floyd and other Black people, we’re uncertain of what the future holds right now.

Are we ever going to get back to normal?

Will we hug/embrace again?

Will racism ever end?

Will black people live in fear forever?

These are all questions that we are thinking and it’s hurting us deeply.

We all want to live in a world that’s free of pain, anger, anxiety, racism, stress. We want a world where we can love no matter what. And that is possible.

Right now it’s a time to listen. It’s a time to work together, heal together, and be kind. We need to accept EVERYONE regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexuality. It doesn’t matter what your views are on politics or religion. We need to be open-minded and accepting of other people’s views. You may disagree, and that’s okay. But let’s learn to be kind.

I shared a post on Instagram the other day shedding some light on the whole George Floyd situation.

And it hurts my heart. Watching that video of him being murdered was devastating. And the fact that the police officer who had his knee on him didn’t even flinch with remorse or sadness. In fact, it was nothing to him, while so many people watching were shouting with fear and anger. This was an inhumane act of racism.

And because of that, so much pain and hatred has come from that. It’s time to pay attention! There’s a great quote by John F. Kennedy:

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”

I understand the pain. The hurt. The anger. The RAGE.

But to move past this we must love again.

Love and acceptance is the only thing that can make things better. When we are born, we don’t see colour. Racism is taught, and can be untaught. We need to be better humans.

Being in an interracial relationship has taught me a lot. Andrew and I have our differences in opinions, values, and religion. He’s white, I’m brown. He was brought up in an Italian household, where as I, in an Indian household. There are bound to be differences. But the foundation of our relationship is built on love and communication. And ACCEPTANCE.

As human beings, we crave security. We want to feel safe and protected at all times. And a lot of us feel anxious when we don’t have control of our lives.

These are some ways to cope with uncertainty:

• Take action over things you can control. Whatever your fears or personal circumstances, instead of worrying about them, try to refocus your mind on taking action over the aspects that are within your control.
• Learn to accept uncertainty. We do it everyday. I mean, you never know what’s going to happen in your day. Sure, you can plan and plan all you want, but it might not turn out the way you want. And that’s okay. In the world we’re living in right now, learning to accept uncertainty is KEY for your sanity.
• Focus on the present. Again, we have no idea what the future holds right now. We don’t know when things will go back to normal. So, focus on the present and what you can do RIGHT NOW to make a difference in the world.
• Take control of your stress & anxiety. I get that watching the news daily can have a huge impact on our stress levels. And really, there’s no way of avoiding it sometimes, but you have to take care of your health. Limit how much you scroll on Instagram or watch the news. Give yourself some YOU time and relax.

Guys, we’re all in this together. Or at least, I want us to be.

I’m seeing so much negative content from Influencers on social media right now. There are so many people that are just not sure what to say, or don’t have the words to say what they want. And that’s okay. By not saying anything, it does not make you racist.

Instead of lashing out on Instagram or pointing fingers at people who are posting the wrong stuff or are saying wrong things, let’s be gentle with them instead. No one wants to live in fear. We ALL want to feel accepted. Educate them.

These past few days have been hard on everyone, especially the black community.

Let’s learn from this incident. Be kind. Be loving. Be accepting.

Xx, kim

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