Dealing with Uncertainty: 8 Ways to Manage it Effectively

We all experience periods of uncertainty at times in our lives. 

Sometimes, it is triggered by your own choices, such as making a significant change to achieve something that matters to you. 

It can happen when navigating a period of transition as you move from one chapter and stage of life to another.

It is also triggered by circumstances or events that happen that are beyond your control or are not your choice. For example, an economic downturn impacting your business, losing a job, becoming an empty nester, navigating a relationship breakdown, etc.  

Whatever the cause of your feelings of uncertainty, how you deal with it will have a big impact on the outcome.

However, effectively dealing with uncertainty is often easier said than done. That is because it feels extremely uncomfortable. It can make you feel stressed, out of control, stuck, and trigger  emotions like fear.

When you feel like that, it is easy to fall into the trap of not taking action or retreating to the status quo (even if the status quo isn’t what you want). 

So, when uncertainty hits, it helps to have some practical ways to deal with it effectively.

Here are a few to help you get started:

1. Become solution focused. The more you focus on the uncertainty, the harder it is to navigate and the less likely you are to take action to move forward. Stop focusing on it. Switch your focus to identifying solutions and the next small steps you can take to move forward. 

2. Don’t retreat. What you don’t deal with persists. Retreating from the situation won’t resolve anything. It will only prolong the pain. To get past uncertainty, you need to step into the discomfort, not away from it. And if that feels hard, keep in mind that the permanent pain of staying stuck is far worse than the temporary pain of creating change. 

3. Stop dwelling on the things that aren’t within your sphere of influence and control. It is a waste of your time and energy. It resolves nothing. It doesn’t move you forward. It can keep you feeling stuck. Stay focused on the things that are within your sphere of influence and control.  
4. Don’t believe everything you think. Be aware of the stories you are telling yourself. Check if they are helping you or hindering you. In uncertain times, it is easy for our thoughts to run riot, dwelling endlessly on the worst-case scenarios. Whilst it is definitely helpful to consider worst-case scenarios and have contingencies and plans in place to deal with them should they occur, make sure you aren't letting them run the show. 
5. Manage your emotions. Your emotions can set you up to succeed or sabotage you. That is because they have a significant impact on things like your decision making, behaviour, and the actions you do or don’t take. Treat your emotions like data. What are they telling you? Use that to identify the things that will help you navigate and manage the specific emotions you are experiencing in a way that helps and supports you in dealing with your situation effectively. 
6. Build a support network. Feelings of uncertainty can become amplified if you are in your own head all the time. Seek out appropriate support and help. Talk about it with someone you trust. It's much easier to navigate times of uncertainty if you don't feel you are on your own. 
7. Protect your mental and physical energy. Periods of uncertainty can feel enormously draining. Identify the things that boost your energy and do more of them. Identify things that are draining your energy and deal with them. Think of it as fueling up. You need extra fuel to navigate periods of uncertainty.   

8. Hang on tight to your sense of humour. Light moments during uncertain times can be a real tonic.

The bottom line:

Whilst uncertainty is a part of life, work, and business at times, you get to choose how to respond to that. Choose wisely. How you respond will heavily influence your progress and outcomes.