Uncertainty is an inevitable part of life. Whether it’s uncertainty about our health, our jobs, or the state of the world, it can lead to feelings of anxiety, stress, and fear. However, it’s important to remember that uncertainty also opens up possibilities and opportunities.
Living with uncertainty can become hard. Humans crave information about what happens in the future. Ambiguity is perceived as a threat by our brains, and for the sake of protecting us they get us to work on creating certainty.
According to research, feeling job insecure can cause more damage to our mental health than the actual loss of the job. In an experiment, participants who were told that they had 1 50% chance to receive a painful electric shock recorded higher anxiety scores than those who believed they were definitely to receive the painful shock.
Being certain is good but it is not always possible. And we have to deal with uncertainty.
Here are some strategies to help cope with uncertainty.
Acknowledge Your Feelings
First and foremost, acknowledge your feelings. It’s okay to feel anxious or scared when faced with uncertainty. These feelings are natural human responses to unknown situations. By acknowledging them, you can start to understand and manage them better.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness involves staying present and focusing on the here and now. It can help you avoid getting caught up in worries about the future or regrets about the past. There are many ways to practice mindfulness, such as meditation, yoga, or simply taking a few moments each day to focus on your breathing.
Focus on What You Can Control
While there are many things in life that we can’t control, there are also many things that we can. Instead of worrying about the things you can’t change, focus on the things you can. This might be as simple as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, setting personal goals, or staying connected with loved ones.
Seek Support not rescue
Don’t hesitate to seek support when dealing with uncertainty. This could be from friends, family, or professional counselors. Sometimes, just talking about your feelings and concerns can help alleviate them.
Learn to solve your own problems. Seek support from people who enhance your efficacy and empower you. Rescuers tend to allow you skip taking responsibility, and this doesn’t’ not help you in the uncertain world we live in. It habituates you and makes you an addict on people assistance.
Stay Informed, But Avoid Overload
Staying informed can help reduce feelings of uncertainty. However, be careful not to overload yourself with information, especially if it’s causing you stress. Try to limit your news intake and check your sources to ensure they’re reliable.
Don’t resist
Instead of resisting, embrace acceptance. Acceptance is meeting life where it is and then proceeding forward. By acceptance we free ourselves from remaining frozen and bound by uncertainty and new unexpected horizons open up.
Don’t believe everything you think
Our brains are hard-wired to exaggerate perceived threats. We often think of the worst outcome.
It is not bad to figure out the worst-case scenarios and prepare. But if we believe that this worst scenario is going to happen then we react emotionally as though it is already happening in real life and not just a worst-case scenario in our mental calculations.
We need to learn about the other alternative scenarios and actively imagine the best one. This way we may strike a balance and counteract our tendency to overestimate risks and threats.
Find Meaning in Uncertainty
In times of uncertainty, chaos can seem overwhelming. However, chaos also presents an opportunity to find new meanings and purposes. This might involve reframing challenges as opportunities for growth, or finding personal significance in difficult experiences. Remember, even in the midst of chaos, there are always aspects of your life that have meaning and value. By focusing on these, you can find a sense of purpose that helps you navigate through uncertainty.
So yes, you can definitely add “Finding Meaning in Chaos” to the strategies for coping with uncertainty. It’s a profound way to transform uncertainty into an opportunity for personal growth and self-discovery. Remember, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” – Albert Einstein.
References
Dealing with Uncertainty – HelpGuide.org
10 tips for dealing with the stress of uncertainty (apa.org)
Seven Ways to Cope with Uncertainty (berkeley.edu)
Wellbeing Arena 