How to navigate fear in a time of uncertainty

For millions of Americans, it is an uncertain time.

Amazon, General Motors and Paramount have all been making layoffs, and U.S.-based employers announced 153,074 job cuts in October altogether, according to research firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

The government shutdown has also left hundreds of thousands of workers without pay, millions of SNAP recipients without funds to feed themselves and their families, and now thousands of travelers with reduced flight options.

There are ways to cope that don’t exacerbate the financial anxiety you might be feeling. For example, financial therapist Aja Evans recommends leaning into self-care activities that cost little to no money, like going outside and spending time with family and friends.

But there’s a mindset shift people can make as well.

Instead of experiencing uncertainty as an anomaly, remember that “uncertainty is fundamental reality,” says best-selling author and wellness guru Deepak Chopra. “Every moment we breathe, live and move in uncertainty, pretending that it’s certainty.”

The 79-year-old recently launched a wellness platform offering various meditations, live digital sessions with him and a Deepak Chopra AI chatbot drawing from his decades of writing and talks that users can interact with directly.

Instead of thinking of uncertainty as an inhibitor in your life, think of it as a chance to try something new. “In every uncertain event,” says Chopra, “there is the seed for a greater opportunity and creativity.”

That creativity can lead to fresh problem solving in whatever difficult circumstance you’re facing and solutions you haven’t considered before.

Creativity is “a new story, a new paradigm, a new way of dealing with relationships, new context and new meaning,” he says.

When you feel that anxiety creeping in about an unclear future, “start with the presumption that life is uncertain,” says Chopra. “When you start with that, you welcome the unknown.”

Want to level up your AI skills? Sign up for Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course, How To Use AI To Communicate Better At Work. Get specific prompts to optimize emails, memos and presentations for tone, context and audience.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life, and request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn to connect with experts and peers.