Managing Fear and Grief in Uncertain Times

Many of us feel overwhelmed by difficult events. We find ourselves looking for ways to manage the complex emotions we experience. Alan E. Fruzzetti, PhD, shows us how to actively cope with emotions like fear, grief, sadness, and loss during uncertain times.

About This Video

Feelings of fear, grief, and sadness have grown with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. These emotions impact how we feel about ourselves and others. They also affect how we respond to different situations and variables in our lives.

There are many factors that make up our emotional experience. What we eat, the physical activities we do, and how much sleep we get shape how we feel. What we choose to pay attention to, how we respond in given situations, and our interactions with others can all affect our emotions.

Many of us are experiencing unprecedented levels of fear, grief, and sadness in response to changes and losses brought on by the pandemic. Understanding the relationship between these emotions and how to pull them apart can be a help to ease struggles. Applying structure and purposeful consumption in our daily lives can assist in reducing fear and increasing joy while also allowing ourselves to grieve our losses. Dr. Fruzzetti demonstrates the power that we have to shape our own emotional experience and reviews the differences between primary and secondary emotions. He also outlines five principle sources of distress and shares effective strategies for dealing with each of them.

Though intended for parents and school staff to assist children and teens with managing their emotions, this presentation is valuable to anyone who is struggling with fear, grief, or other difficult emotions.