We are living in strange and ever-changing times.

When the pandemic altered the way we lived, worked and moved about, many across the globe were gripped with sudden fear and uncertainty.

Our ‘new normal’ was such that no one could predict what tomorrow might bring.

Yet in truth, we have never ever known what the future holds but we have gone about day to day, and more or less taken it for granted that things we normally expect to see in our life today will be around tomorrow.

How things have changed though, from business closures of long-established world-famous brands to our favourite local coffee shops or retail stores that have suddenly pulled down the shutters for good.

Now, more than ever, we are literally swimming in the unchartered waters of the ‘unknown’.

Yet, whenever the ‘unknown’ is in motion in our lives, it becomes even more important for us to keep our eyes wide open so we can see where the current is taking us.

This means not pretending that everything is okay. This means acknowledging that you might sink, that you might fail or that whatever you fear losing might all be taken away.

If you are able to bring yourself to this lowest point of recognising what you’re up against, you don’t have much else to lose.

If you reached the absolute rock bottom, the only way left to go, is up. However, many of our fears might never get to this point.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that 90% of what we worry about never comes true but are there any statistics on this?

In a recent study by LaFreniere & Newman in 2019, the worry journals of undergraduate students were analysed to determine just how many of their worries actually materialised over the course of three weeks.

Specifically, they recorded (and you might want to ponder these same questions yourself about your own fears):

• What was the worry in itself (defined as a specific, testable, anxiety-inducing prediction about the future)
• The degree of distress this was causing from 1= no distress to 7 = severe distress
• How much space the worry was taking up. As in, “How much time was spent thinking about this from the moment you had this particular fear or worry?”
• And finally, two estimates of the likelihood of that particular worry coming true. One estimate being based on their “gut feelings or intuition” – i.e. the “emotional likelihood” of the worry coming true.

And the other estimate being the “logical likelihood” of the worry, which the participants arrived at by answering the question: “If the most rational person in the world were to give a probability as to how likely this event would come true, what would it be?”

So, what percentage of these worries came true?

In line with the global quote, we commonly hear that 90% of what we worry about never actually happens, on average, 91.39% of participants’ worries did NOT come true.

It’s also worth noting that for the few worries that did materialise, participants rated about a third as having turned out better than expected.

Yet, one of the things all the worrying in the world can never give back to you is your precious time.

We lose so much time worrying about stuff that might never happen, which is why meditation and mindfulness tools that keep bringing you back into the present moment is one of the most powerful things you can do to stay present, rather than focused on your future fears.

It is also vital to come into a space of acceptance of exactly where you’re at.

No frills or sugar coating. You will need to ask yourself some pretty raw questions that only you can answer.

What exactly are you afraid of? What’s the worst thing that could happen?

Allow yourself to contemplate your answer. Really dive into the heart of the ‘fear’ and get to the point of embracing all the outcomes, not only the ones you want to see.

If you are able to face your worries and fears with full honesty and awareness, then there are no more sudden surprises that could creep up on you.

You would have done the hard inner work of shedding light into the darkest shadows of your fears so that you can stand strong in your own truth.

One of the fastest ways to move on from any stuck emotions is to first acknowledge them.

This is not just in your working life. It applies to your personal relationships too, even the relationship you have with yourself.

Seek to understand, accept and acknowledge how you’re really feeling about whatever it is that could be troubling you. And if it takes time to heal, give yourself time.

If you try to rush or push aside uncomfortable feelings or ignore them, they might hang around even longer.

Also be aware of how you are sleeping every night. The body never lies so if you are bothered by a deep-seated fear you have been sweeping under the carpet, this can interrupt the quality of your sleep.

Healing doesn’t have any fixed timeline. The more we surrender to the process, the more loving and supportive energy we create toward healing the wounds of the past.

Let your feelings flow and be brave in facing your fears. Don’t suppress emotions as they might get trapped within you.

Express and acknowledge them, without judgment. Be gentle. Be kind to yourself and keep it real.

The more honest you can be with yourself, the closer you are to releasing what no longer serves you.

Jojo Struys is a TEDx Speaker, Wellness Personality and founder of ‘OHANAJO awake’, an online conscious platform to help people with their stress, anxiety and sleep. Enjoy daily meditations, yoga, sound baths and wisdom on the go in less than 15 mins per day. Please visit www.ohanajo.com for a free trial.