All of us have faced unpredictable situations which has led to uncertainty. Escaping it hasn’t been an easy job. It makes us feel uncomfortable, and vulnerable.

And, I can absolutely feel you on this point, because humans love certainty. We love to be sure, and want everything to be certain. But think about how you feel each morning, trying to figure out how to go about the day, setting goals, and what all to do.

Stress and symptoms of anxiety lie at the heart of uncertainty. Just like we feel when we are about to get our results. Perhaps, handling uncertainty is an art within itself, to venture into the unknowns.

I love how Yalom puts it in his book, Love’s Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy, quotes –

“The capacity to tolerate uncertainty is a prerequisite… The powerful temptation to achieve certainty through embracing an ideological school and a tight therapeutic system is treacherous: such belief may block the uncertain and spontaneous encounter necessary for effective therapy.

[…]

I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.”

Here is what happens on the brain level – uncertainty makes our brain yield control to the limbic system, instead of rational brain, hence, our brains pushing to overreact.

Then what me must do about uncertainty, than just embracing this part of our lives. I understand how it troubles us on some days, here are few ways which you might like

1. Try to keep your limbic system quite in those times, you can do it by simply deep breathing, dumping all the fears and irrational thoughts in the dustbin.
2. If not positive, try sticking to staying neutral and unperturbed.
3. Stop taking is so seriously, look at your bladder for a minute, does your pee gives you a reminder when it comes?

End note – Uncertainty is simply a way of life.