When the Ground Keeps Shifting: A Compassionate Reset for Uncertain Times

Written by Angela Bryan, MS, LMHC

Change.

I love change when it allows me to travel, learn new skills, or redecorate my living room.

I hate change when it is outside my control and forces me to give up my comfortable things, relationships, or routines. It’s especially unsettling when change threatens my security, giving me that “pit in the stomach” or “tightness in my chest” feeling when things are uncertain.

Whether you work in public education, tech or any field undergoing constant change or whether you simply live in this world these days, you might be feeling the weight of uncertainty right now. Return-to-office shifts, leadership turnover, AI reshaping your role faster than you can keep up with, consequential decisions being made outside your control, just when things start to feel stable, the ground moves again.

Even if you’re staying afloat, you might feel tense, scattered, anxious, stuck in mental overdrive, exhausted, or powerless. These emotions are not a personal failing or a sign that something is wrong with you—it’s simply your nervous system responding to a lack of clarity and trying its best to protect you.

Your Brain Tells Stories to Feel Safe

Our brains are wired to predict what’s coming next. Uncertainty makes that hard, so your brain fills in the blanks. It tells a story to give you a sense of control.

Notice the story in your mind and the impact it is having on how you feel.

“I’m not doing enough. I am not good enough.”

“Why plan anything when it’ll probably change again?”

“I don’t have time to rest - too much is at stake.”

“My leadership does not value me - what’s the point?”

“I should have seen this coming.”

“I can’t catch a break.”

These aren’t just thoughts. When repeated, these types of thought patterns can trigger stress responses in your nervous system: tight shoulders, brain fog, and constant worry. The story you tell yourself becomes your lived reality—not because it’s fact, but because your body believes it needs to prepare itself for a threat.

Name what’s hard — without rushing to fix it.

It’s okay to feel unsettled. Your problems—the frustration of returning to office work after adapting to remote routines, or the pressure of keeping pace with AI advancements—aren’t trivial. They are disorienting.

Allow yourself to feel it without judgment. Validation isn’t about giving up, it’s about acknowledging what’s real inside you so that you move through it. Write it down, tell someone, get it off your chest, connect with someone who will listen. As humans, we are wired for connection. It brings relief and balance.

Then widen the frame:
Ask: What else might be true?

“This is overwhelming “ AND “ I’ve adapted before.”

“I don’t love this change” AND “I can still protect my energy.”

“I’m unsure” AND “I don’t need to solve it all today.”

“I feel stuck” AND “that does not mean I will stay stuck.”

Ask: What is good today?

“I said no to something I didn’t have space for.”

“I was kind to myself when I could’ve been critical.”

“This coffee and food smells good - I have what I need.”

“I had a fun, friendly moment with my colleague.”

If all this feels too hard, start with just one grounding, anchoring action, and then move into the steps above. A five-minute walk. A conversation that doesn’t require pretending. A few deep breaths, moving, stretching, having lunch, drinking water, going outside and seeing nature, feeling the rain or sun on your skin. These small choices signal to your nervous system: I’m not powerless here. This isn’t about pretending it’s fine. It’s about staying human and working with our nervous system to find regulation. 

Sometimes, slowing down to notice your inner story doesn’t just calm your nervous system - it reveals what really matters.

In the space that opens up, you might feel something else:
Clarity.
Insight.
Even courage.

Courage to name what’s not working.
Clarity to ask for what you need.
Energy to move away from something you’ve outgrown, or move toward something you quietly want to change.

This isn’t about controlling what’s around you. It’s about coming back to what’s within you, and remembering that, even in uncertain times, you still get to choose how you respond, what you want to build from here, and what YOU want to change.