In Unprecedented Times

April 1, 2025

I can’t recall the last time the times weren’t “unprecedented.” But, nowadays, c’est la vie. Life is unpredictable. 

Plans change, expectations shift, and just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, a curveball gets thrown. Take, for instance, life after January 2020 and onward. Speaking for myself, a pandemic wasn’t on my bingo card for the “roaring 2020s.” And life since then has been a rollercoaster.

Fast forward to today—eggs are $20, social norms are shifting, the Department of Education is being dismantled while student loans seem like a permanent fixture, and so many of us are facing challenges we didn’t choose. It feels like the rules keep changing while we’re in the middle of the game, and the finish line keeps moving. If you’re a bit tired, you’re not alone.

Sometimes it seems like we’re all just trying to keep it together—juggling responsibilities, navigating chaos, and hoping something will finally settle down. But here’s a truth I’ve learned: you can’t control everything. Honestly, you can’t control most things. And if you could, the responsibility of controlling everything would probably make life much less enjoyable than you’d imagine.

But there’s good news. You don’t have to control everything to feel steady. You don’t have to fix every problem to be okay. You just have to know what you can control and make the most of it.

I’ve been there too—stuck trying to make the “right” decision when nothing felt certain. I’ve seen it in people who feel paralyzed by overthinking, others who stay busy to feel productive, and those who take on responsibility for everything, trying to fix it all. But here’s another truth: Trying to control the uncontrollable is a recipe for burnout.

So what do you do when everything feels up in the air? You get grounded. Not in some magical, “everything is fine” kind of way. But in a real, practical, “this is what I can do right now” way.

Start by deciding what matters most. When everything feels urgent, unless it’s a life-or-death crisis, nothing really is. But when you focus on what’s truly important—your values, your goals, your peace—everything else starts to fall into place.

Grounding might look like narrowing your focus. What’s one thing you can actually manage today? What’s something you can let go of?

It might mean recognizing that busy doesn’t always mean productive. Your time is your energy—protect it.

Or maybe it means staying steady for others without pretending to have all the answers—being honest enough to say, “I don’t know, but I’m here.”

Some days, grounding looks like making a list. Some days, it’s letting yourself do nothing at all. But it’s never about perfect balance. It’s about coming back to yourself, even when everything else feels shaky.

Life may always be unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean you have to be.

With Love,

Dr. Love Jordan