How to challenge uncertainty
Knowing how to challenge uncertainty is a real skill considering that we live in a world that is inherently uncertain. Nothing will ever change the fact that life is uncertain, so it pays to find way to accept and manage uncertainty rather than trying to resist it. Resisting uncertainty is futile and will only leave you exhausted.
So, how can we learn to manage uncertainty better? Acceptance is a good start. Find a way to see uncertainty as an integral part of your life – get used to liking the idea of surprises and the unpredictable by managing how you perceive it. I like to try think of life as an adventure. A mad rollercoaster that we are all on, that dips and turns and has us screaming for mercy every now and then. Due to the fact that we cannot be certain about everything in life, ask yourself what the advantages and disadvantages are of requiring certainty. In other words, how has needing certainty been helpful to you? How has needing certainty been unhelpful to you?
Do you tend to predict that something bad will happen just because you are uncertain? This isn’t a reasonable thing to do as it is just as likely that the situation could be neutral or positive.
Often, the things that we predict never happen anyway. Keep perspective and remember that no one can predict the future. We can have a rough idea but we may never know for sure so be careful that you are not ‘torturing’ yourself unnecessarily with negative thoughts.
Are there some uncertainties in life that you can live with? The longer your list is for this question, the happier you will be in life. Learn to be psychologically flexible and to believe that you will find a way to cope with whatever is thrown your way.
Uncertainty can be a good thing and when you embrace the idea of uncertainty and work at strengthening your belief in your ability to cope, you will find that you are less anxious about the unknown.
Mandy X
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
