Feeling uncertain? 3 techniques to help

For many, the world is feeling a little uncertain right now. War. Climate crisis. Political chaos. Rising costs. AI reshaping industries. Strained relationships. Confusing career paths.

More often than not, this uncertainty isn't just impacting the external world; it’s seeping into our bodies, our thinking, and how our nervous system responds. Even if your life looks fine on paper, something under the surface probably feels shaky.

Why uncertainty feels so hard

Our bodies can't always tell the difference between uncertainty at a global level or an individual level. It just knows something is unpredictable and sees this unpredictability as a threat.

Perhaps frustratingly, prolonged exposure without clarity or resolution can ramp up anxiety, fatigue, indecision, and even hopelessness even more! Doh...

And if you're someone who usually has a plan and likes to control. If you're driven, high-functioning, it can feel especially disorienting to our nervous systems to admit: “I don’t know what’s next.”

The brain under uncertainty

Without the right coping techniques, feeling permanently under threat can become less creative, more reactive and more anxious (Hirsh et al., 2012; Grupe & Nitschke, 2013).

Most people respond to uncertainty (aka cope) by trying to “figure it all out” to get rid of the discomfort and fear that comes with it. Sometimes this mental scrambling only feeds the loop.

And if you’ve grown up in an environment where unpredictability was tied to fear, chaos, or disappointment, your tolerance for uncertainty is going to be even lower.

But, uncertainty isn’t the enemy per se - holding it without the right tools is! That is the thing that drains us.

The good news? Tolerance for uncertainty is a skill. It takes practice, but there are a few relatively easy things that might help with how you're feeling if practised daily.

3 techniques to build tolerance for uncertainty

1. Become hyper-present

Uncertainty is future-focused. It's only relevant to something that has not yet happened. As such, it can help to think about where you are and what you're doing right now. 

To do this, you can use a grounding technique, e.g. Name five things you see, feel, hear. Stating them out loud one by one. 

Or you can pause and recognise that right now, in this moment, you are safe. Right now, at this very moment, everything is OK - you are OK. You can say this out loud if it helps. The key thing is to be present to the fact that you are!

2. Focus on what you can control

Draw three columns:

• Can control
• Can influence
• Can’t control

List your current worries. Then pick one thing from the 'Can control' list and do it. Even something small like updating your LinkedIn or tidying your desk sends a signal to your nervous system: I’m not powerless.

3. Self-compassion

This can feel very alien to many people.

Try writing or speaking out loud the following phrases:

• “This is tough.”
• “I’m not alone, and others feel this too.”
• “May I be kind to myself right now.”

Then do one small thing that feels good: a walk, a song, a tea break.

If you struggle with this, reflect on how you might reassure a child, and speak to yourself in a similar way. 

Of course, this might not be enough! Especially if you're always used to feeling in control, but it might be a start.