2020 (a.k.a. the year of uncertainty)

Without a doubt, 2020 has been THE year of uncertainty. We have encountered unknown after unknown. How will lockdown last? No idea. When will I see my friends and family again? Don’t know. What will happen if I catch Covid-19? No clue. Will I still have a job in 6 months? Maybe, maybe not.

The psychology of uncertainty

Facing uncertainty is always difficult but the sheer amount of it this year has just been overwhelming. This is completely natural since our brains crave certainty, control, and answers, all of which have been lacking in the past months. Our need to know what is coming next is a survival mechanism: it allows it to plan and prepare for eventualities. When this information about the future is missing, it generates a sense of threat in our limbic system. This is the primitive part of our brain involved in our behavioural and emotional responses, especially those geared towards our survival. When our limbic system is activated, it responds with an instinctive fear reaction which causes our rational brain to go off-line. Research has shown that people are calmer when facing pain than they are when facing uncertainty because pain is known and familiar while uncertainty isn’t (1).

Uncertainty also hijacks our ‘attention system’ (2). Since our attentional resources are limited, the more time we spend worrying about the unknown and overcoming our urge to act on these worries, the fewer cognitive resources we have for anything else, including regulating our emotions. So when our attention system is depleted and weakened, it can leave you feeling emotionally unsteady and dysregulated.

Another thing that occurs when our brain is faced with uncertainty is that it comes up with a lot of untested hypotheses about what is going to happen. However, as we are hardwired to overestimate threats and underestimate our ability to cope, we tend to assume the worst (catastrophise), jump to negative conclusions, and hold onto beliefs that are outdated or simply not true. For example, “I’m the only one who seems to be struggling, I’m always the weak one”. This understandably can then leave us feeling anxious and, if left unaddressed, it can increase the likelihood of developing mental health difficulties. So, although some anxiety is a natural coping mechanism against uncertainty, excessive worrying about things that are out of our control can be unhelpful and even harmful to our well-being.

Strategies for coping with uncertainty

Now that we’ve covered why uncertainty feels so unpleasant, how can you best cope when everything feels out of control? Below are 10 strategies that can help ground you when you are faced with the unknown:

1. Avoid worrying about what you can’t control

Sometimes worrying can be productive: it can motivate you to act and change your situation. However, when you cannot change your situation and you spend countless hours worrying about it, this is unproductive and can leave you feeling more uncertain (thereby creating a vicious cycle). Although it’s not easy and it takes practice, try to recognise and take a step back from unproductive worrying because worrying about something you can’t change doesn’t serve you (or the situation). Instead, ruminating on the worst-case scenarios and getting caught up with ‘what if’, only serves to fuel the uncertainty and adds to your anxiety. So remember: “If I can’t change it, then it’s not mine to worry about”.

2. Control what you can: create habits and routines

The good thing is that even in uncertain times, many things are within our control. This can include planning weekly meals, scheduling calls with loved ones, or blocking timeout for exercise. Establishing habits and routines, however small, can help create some comforting structure and predictability to your days.

3. Limit exposure to what is triggering your worries

When we are worried about something or are looking for answers to life’s unknowns, it’s hard to look away. But compulsively checking social media, the news, or Dr. Google for answers will only leave us feeling worse. Try to limit your exposure to triggers, particularly on the days or times you feel vulnerable (e.g. before bedtime or when you’re alone).

4. Ground yourself in the present

Worrying about future unknowns takes you away from the here and now, so practise being in the present. Mindfulness-based activities (3), such as meditation or doing a body scan, can help bring you into the present moment and calm racing thoughts. Other practices, such as painting or going for a walk in nature, can also help with this.

5. Search for comfort, not an escape

When experiencing uncertainty, our brains try to counteract this by activating our dopamine system which motivates us to seek rewards and makes temptations all that more tempting. This can lead us to use escapist behaviours, such as emotional eating, having a few too many glasses of wine, or splurging on online shopping to fill the void left by uncertainty. However, this is only a short-lived fix and can leave us feeling worse than before. Instead, create a list of healthy comforts which you can turn to when you’re having a difficult day.

6. Reflect on your strengths and past successes

We often forget all that we have overcome to get us to where we are. Most of us will have faced stressful situations and uncertainty in the past and survived, so we need to give ourselves credit for our strengths and resilience. Reflecting on these times can help us identify what coping strategies worked for us then but also what we might want to do differently this time around.

7. Create a contingency plan

People who embrace uncertainty are not afraid of admitting that they don’t know or might make the wrong decisions. This ability to accept that things might not go as planned, allows them to also come up with contingency plans should unforeseen events occur (instead of clinging onto one plan and struggling to admit defeat). Having a contingency plan can help reduce panic when faced with an unexpected situation, minimise the disruption to your life, and promote action.

8. Invest in self-care

When we are feeling stressed by uncertainty, we are more likely to neglect our self-care, despite it often being what we need the most. This is why it is important to prioritise your self-care and healthy routines as these practices can help reduce and manage stress levels (which in turn can help us cope with uncertainty better!).

9. Seek support and ask for help

Many of us tend to isolate ourselves when we feel overwhelmed or worried. However, staying connected and talking to someone you trust can help ground you, give you a different perspective, release tension, and make you realise that you are not alone in your worries. And if there is no one you feel you can go to, consider seeking support from a professional.

10. Find meaning in the unknown

Even the most difficult or uncertain of situations can be meaningful. They can be an opportunity to grow, gain a new perspective, reconnect with what is important, build on your strengths, or re-calibrate your sense of purpose. Meaning and purpose can spark hope which can see us through frightening and uncertain times. So instead of waiting for this difficult patch to be over, ask yourself what you can do to make this journey more meaningful. Are you living your life with purpose, value, and impact? Are you using your skills and talents in a meaningful way? Are you contributing to what matters to you? If the answers to these questions are ‘no’, ask yourself how you can start living life more meaningfully,

Takeaways

No one can avoid the unknown but you can learn to get comfortable with uncertainty. As John Allen Paulos said: “Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.”

I hope you found the strategies above helpful and for the last blog post of the Well-being in Lockdown mini-series, I will be exploring why (self)compassion is important and how you can cultivate it.

References

(1) Uncertainty can cause more stress than inevitable pain – https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160329101037.htm

(2) 10 Ways Your Brain Reacts to Uncertain Times – https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/10_ways_your_brain_reacts_to_uncertain_times

(3) 22 Mindfulness Exercises, Techniques & Activities For Adults – https://positivepsychology.com/mindfulness-exercises-techniques-activities/