If you’re like a lot of people right now, you’re feeling at the mercy of many things that are out of your control.

You may be in transition (and what a euphemism for “unemployed” that is!), you may feel as if your job is reasonably secure (or not), or you may be self-employed.  Whatever your current situation, you’re probably wondering what’s going to happen, which area of the economy is going to crumble next, and what effect it’s all going to have on you and your life.

In the throes of all this uncertainty, many people are doing the emotional equivalent of hiding under the bed.  There are so many things happening at once, most of them appearing highly arbitrary, unfair, and flat-out frightening, that it feels immobilizing.

A friend and fellow coach commented to me this weekend that her clients are saying things like, “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost my job!”  She asks them, “Really?  You have no idea what you’d do?”

That question is a wake-up call for her clients who have gotten temporarily stuck in the rampant confusion and uncertainty that’s prevailing right now. It’s understandable in these crazy times to feel stuck, so if you can empathize with these feelings, you’re in good company.

It’s not much fun to be yanked around by your thoughts and feelings about what might happen next.  So take my friend’s question one step further, and ask:  What can you do?  Here are a few suggestions.

Turn off the news

The media, naturally enough, focuses on what’s going on.  But do you really need to know that the market fell another 100 points, or how many people were laid off last month? 

I’m not suggesting that you bury your head in the sand, but I am suggesting that there’s no point in focusing on things you can’t do anything about.  Turn off the news, and focus on what you can do something about.

Update your info

If you’re employed, how up-to-date is your resume?  If you’re jobhunting, have you had your resume reviewed by someone who understands you and your career?  And if you’re a business owner, how can you position what you offer to address people’s concerns now?

Are your LinkedIn, Facebook, and other online profiles up to date?  (You do have LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, right?  If not, check out the networking class I’m offering.) 

If you Google yourself, what do you find?

Being prepared in all of these areas helps keep you nimble and ready to move in whatever direction necessary.  Being unprepared can leave you flatfooted and at a loss.

Be a voice of reason

This may sound a bit harsh, but don’t hang out with the doom-and-gloom mongers.  And if you’re one of the doom-and-gloomers, consider changing your tone.  Yes, things are scary right now, but if you stay focused on your fear, you’ll never notice the good things that come your way. 

Especially since good things may not come your way when you’re stuck in doom and gloom.  I’m sure I’m not alone in only recommending people, whether small businesses or jobseekers, whom I know to be forward-looking and focused on what they’re doing, right now, to make things better. 

Keep your doom-and-glooming for moments of meltdown in privacy, or with a trusted friend or family member.  Don’t take it to work with you, or to networking meetings or interviews.  Be a voice of calm, of reason, and perhaps even of optimism – even if it’s only a “this too shall pass” sort of optimism.

Stay focused

Wherever you are in your life right now, stay focused on what you’re really here to do.  Don’t worry about what other people are supposed to do, what you wish they’d do, or what you wish was or wasn’t happening.  What are you here for, right now, this minute?

At work, this means doing your job to the best of your ability.  Sounds obvious, right?  Yet how much corporate time is being spent agonizing about layoffs (past or present, real or imagined) or in other unproductive, fearful ways?  Your ability to stay focused and do your job will help you keep your job. 

If you’re jobhunting, this means not just doing your best to be cheerful and focused in your conversations with potential employers and fellow networkers, but also taking care of yourself well.  This is no time to skimp on good food, good exercise, and good company.

As a small businessperson, what can you do right now to help your customers feel as if you understand their current needs and desires?  How can you respond to them in ways that bring you the sales you need and give them what they most need from you?

When you take responsibility for the things you can do, and responsibly manage the information that’s coming your way, you’ll feel better, calmer, and a lot more rational.  In fact, you’ll stand out in the crowd.  And whatever your current situation may be, that will help you make it better.

“No matter what the future brings, man’s capacity to rise to the occasion will remain unaltered. His potential for tenacity and optimism continues, as always, to outfight and outlive any and all changes made by his society.”  Rod Serling, American screenwriter 1924-1975, from the closing to the “Twilight Zone” episode “Steel.