How can I manage anxiety in times of stress and uncertainty?

The first step is to acknowledge your feelings and make space for them. Instead of trying to fight your anxiety, take a more compassionate approach: recognize that these feelings are a natural part of our fight-flight-or-freeze instinct. This awareness allows them to soften.

What you’re experiencing is humanity at work: an organism trying to adapt. Pause for a moment to take a breath and simply name what you’re feeling (e.g. anxiety, grief, helplessness).

Clinical psychologist Jack Kornfield, who has been meditating for 50 years, suggests saying the following words to yourself in a calm and gentle tone of voice: “Thank you for trying to protect me. I’m OK.” This is like pressing a reset button on your consciousness.

There will be times in life when we all experience cycles of anxiety and fear. The key is not trying to “fix” these emotions. Instead, allow these feelings to reveal themselves and acknowledge them with care. This settles us into a state of steadiness or wellbeing.

In times of great difficulty and helplessness, sit quietly with yourself and ask: “What is my best intention at this moment. If you are practicing mindfulness and learning to be present, an answer will bubble up to the surface effortlessly.

Your best intention could be something as simple as “I will be kind no matter what”. Whatever answer you find within yourself, write it down and keep it somewhere memorable. Whenever you feel lost or confused, take a timeout and return to this vow you’ve made to yourself.

It’s natural to have contradictory feelings (love /anger, fear /guilt). Instead of judging these emotions, which gets us nowhere, let the field of mindfulness hold them as they arise. Nobody asks for these feelings, but they’re part of being human. And that's okay.

Speculating about the future is unhelpful. Instead of believing every thought you have, reframe your focus by choosing which thoughts to believe and which thoughts to let go.

Tell yourself: “I don’t know how long this will last, but let me live in this life fully.”

Bottom line: whatever’s happening in your life, focus on what you can control: your actions and reactions. Acknowledge your feelings compassionately and without judgment. You don’t need to believe every thought that you have, but allowing them space to exist will bring stability.