How to cope with uncertainty in these uncertain times

There was a time when life was certain. Not sure when it was. June 12, 1991 at 7:45 in the morning? Or was it April 14, 1877 around noon? 

Whenever it was, it didn’t last long. Perhaps a minute. 

No, life is far from certain, always has been—even before Covid-19. For most of us, our future unfolds in unpredictable ways. 

And if you or I, or anyone, ever felt life was certain, we were fooling ourselves. 

And yet, certainty still seems to be something many of us crave.  With certainty comes a sense of security, of being in control, reducing worry and concern about the future.  So right now, with many of us clearly in the grip of uncertainty, our general level of worry and concern is pretty high. 

Uncertainty is fear of the unknown, the unpredictable, the unreliable, experiencing doubt or lacking confidence about the future. For some, this causes anxiety and stress. For others, they turn to Tarot cards to try and see into their future.

So, how do we deal with this lack of certainty, when in fact there never was any?  How do we reduce our level of worry and concern?

There is one thing that’s certain

Besides death and taxes, and uncertainty itself, there is one thing that is certain, and that is the present moment. 

The here and now is irrefutably certain, if only for a fleeting moment. If we focus on the here and now, we can have the certainty we seek.

Worrying is caused by thinking about something in the future that hasn’t happened yet. Certainty does not exist in the future, only in the here and now.

By the very act of grasping for certainty in our future, we are limiting the possibilities of something extraordinary happening. 

So, as a reframe … When nothing is certain, anything is possible.

Maybe it’s wiser to stay open to the fact that we don’t know exactly what's going to happen and welcome the opportunity to focus on our current situation, on exactly what’s going on here and now. 

It can be challenging to focus on the present moment when we feel like we’re not in control of our future, or when we have so much going on in our head.  How can anyone be truly open to the possibilities of uncertainty, when we have so much worrying to do?

Here are two ways to help you cope with the worry and anxiety that comes with lack of certainty.

1. Managing the stress of uncertainty

One quick way to help relieve the anxiety caused by uncertainty is to write it all down. 

By actually writing down your uncertainties, you situate them, make them more concrete. By getting them out on paper, they stop being problematic thoughts running rampant inside your head, causing anxiety. 

Step 1. Create a table with two columns. Title column one everything that you’re uncertain about, and column two the important things in your life that you are certain about. 

Write quickly – Don’t overthink!

Step 2. Start writing in column one and see how many items you can think of that you’re uncertain about. Take no more than two minutes to do this, so you don’t have time to overthink. Just whatever comes to mind right now.

Step 3. Do the same in column two – list as many things as you can that you feel are certain. These might be people you can count on or things that are important to you which you can control. Again, take no more than two minutes to avoid over-thinking.Look for the happy news.

Step 4. Now, review your two lists. You will likely discover that there are a lot of important things or people in your life that you can feel certain about. So embrace the feeling, knowing that you’re not alone or that there is indeed some certainty in your life. Celebrate the happy news. 

You may discover that the things you find you’re uncertain about might actually be a bit more manageable than you thought. Maybe you’ll see them as just noise in your head and they don’t actually exist outside of your mind.  Or perhaps you realize some are things over which you never did have control, and that’s just never going to change. Happy news again.

Step 5. Either way, pay attention to what’s real right now.  Remember, there is no certainty for anyone beyond the present moment. Notice how much of your anxiety comes from something that hasn’t happened yet. Notice how much on your list exists more in your head than out here in the world.

Now take a deep breath and stop worrying!

2. Turning uncertainty into opportunity

Another way, somewhat more challenging, is to embrace your uncertainties and turn them into opportunities.

Now this is not for everyone, but if you’re the type of person who sees life as a series of challenges or opportunities to grow and develop yourself, then this approach might be for you.

You can start by taking your list from column one above - the things you are uncertain about - and start brainstorming possible strategies or actual steps you can take to reduce that level of uncertainty.  Look for opportunities to learn new things, be open to discover more about yourself, and be willing to change your mind.

The simple act of writing things down and then planning a way forward or at least coming up with some options to explore, will have you taking action, which will give you a greater sense of control over your life. 

Being in action is always better than being in your head! 

This process will help reduce your level of anxiety around uncertainty and hopefully increase your awareness of what’s real and what’s possible.  Focusing on the present moment will be more enlightening than anything the cards can tell you!