“Not everyone processes uncertainty the same way, and that’s okay.”
The past few days have been unexpected.
What started as a normal Saturday - coaching at the gym, breakfast with a friend, catching up on work with the TV on in the background - quickly changed when I heard a loud “boom” coming from outside my apartment. At first, many of us in the community assumed it came from one of the many nearby construction sites. But, within the next few hours, the loud sounds came again and again, and word spread that these were missiles and drones being intercepted in the sky.
I’ve always felt safe here in the UAE, and believe it or not, to a certain extent, I still do. Like many other residents here, I have a lot of trust in the country I’ve chosen to call home for over 11 years. I’ve seen it overcome challenges in the past, such as COVID and floods, and I’ve witnessed how much the leadership cares for the residents, particularly over the last few days.
That said, it’s no secret that I am someone who gets anxious easily. Living alone on the 11th floor while my building shakes with every interception above isn’t the most comforting feeling. Being woken up in the middle of the night by more loud booms and the sounds of jets, seeing landmarks be struck by debris, receiving alerts on our phones instructing us to seek shelter, watching debris light up the sky and seeing pieces crash into a neighboring building - it has been all unsettling, to say the least.
With everything that has been going on these last few days, one thing I’ve noticed most has been how differently people have reacted to the situation.
Some have been staying calm and practical. Some have seemed completely unfazed. Some have felt anxious. Some constantly check for updates. Some are constantly posting on social media. Some want to leave. Some want to stay. Some need to talk it through. And some don’t.
And in my opinion, all of those reactions are valid. I know there are people in the world living through far worse than what we’ve experienced these past few days. But for many of us, this is new. It’s unfamiliar. And that alone can make it feel overwhelming.
I have learned that:
You can feel safe, and still feel shaken.
You can have trust, and still feel uneasy.
You can be calm, but still need reassurance.
Sometimes, in trying to help others, we end up telling them how they should feel, but when emotions are involved, there isn’t one right response.
Personally, what’s helped most over the last few days hasn’t been being told to relax or that everything will be okay. It’s been the simple check-ins. The “Are you okay?” from friends, family, and colleagues across the globe, and having the space to answer honestly, without feeling judged for “overreacting” or “overthinking.”
In a world full of noise, what we need most right now is a little more understanding, because not everyone processes things the same way, and that’s okay.
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