Looking for Security in a Sea of Uncertainty

It seems like every week a new trend is on the rise that makes us scratch our heads a bit. First it was Stanley Cups, then barely teenagers buying pricey anti-aging products, and now a Trader Joe’s bag. What do all of these hype cycles have in common? 

Hear us out. It stems from existential stress. We know what you’re thinking – doesn’t everything these days? And the answer is kind of. Our stress response is often seen as how we react and cope with what’s going on around us, but these day-to-day stressors are usually not the only thing at play. 

We touched on this in our last post, but it’s easy to feel like there’s so little we can control, particularly right now. At the end of the day, most of us are looking for a sense of security. This leads us to reach for readily available solutions to manage our stress quickly; it's often simpler to tap a few buttons on our phones to make a purchase than to navigate our way out of the figurative pothole we may find ourselves in.

We also often hop on a trend or hype cycle that makes us feel good in the moment because of the perceived sense of belonging and community. It feels good to be a part of something that everyone else is doing. We love that part of our humanity. Unfortunately, behavior associated with trends doesn’t actually feel all that good. In our experience, whether it’s turning to a destructive habit or making an impulsive purchase, these types of coping mechanisms have a minimal effect in actually helping us destress – and sometimes they even backfire, making us feel even worse afterward. 

It’s reasonable to reach for these quick fixes in the midst of uncertainty, especially when these habits are the norm in our society. The ultimate goal, however, is to feel secure and clear-headed – not controlling everything – but in control of our own reactions and stress symptoms. We encourage specific nutrients, herbs and supplements to support stress management, as well as zeroing in on our everyday actions. 

Here are three daily practices that can help you feel grounded:

The 3 Whys approach

Sleep on it

The Captain’s Mind

“Look for the helpers”- Fred Rogers

We shouldn’t feel bad about the behaviors we’ve historically leaned on to destress but rather be conscious of them. In fact, the reason we’re doubling down on feeling in control vs. controlling yourself is because the norm is often to make people feel judgment around their choices. We want to change this narrative and instead encourage women to feel in control. 

To find additional support with getting to the root of stress and feelings of overwhelm, we recommend having solid mentors, coaches, or friends who ask the right questions and supporting yourself with cortisol-regulating herbs and nutrients to help you feel less reactive and more grounded when the next wave of uncertainty comes knocking. You can find examples of the key supplements that support cortisol regulation in our most recent blog post here.  

Now, imagine a trend or hype cycle where everyone was focused on caring for themselves and others. How much better would that be? This is a trend we can stand behind all day, every day!