Your brain doesn’t like uncertainty – and that will help you cope with Covid-19

Psychologically flexible: Becoming more mindful of our emotions in the present moment will prevent us from feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of Covid-19’s global impact over the long haul. – AFP

THE availability of Covid-19 vaccines earlier this year allowed for the partial reboot of life as usual during the pandemic. But the omicron variant – and its delta predecessor – have come along to remind us that Covid-19, like your Uncle Ted at the holidays, is here to stay for an undetermined while longer.

Now that we definitely know a finish line to this health crisis is not within sight, how can we mentally adjust to this latest new normal? Psychological research conducted in my lab at Duke University and elsewhere has illuminated how times of uncertainty affect anxiety and alter our perception of time and provided insights into how we can help ourselves cope.