5 Ways to Beat Uncertainties

I had the privilege to attend a workshop by a good friend, Dr Linda recently. A couple of things that she said stuck in my mind.

I’ll start with Uncertainty. We’ve become obsessed with having certainty. Personally I feel that this is likely to be the leading cause of stress.

Understandably so too. We have been conditioned to pass exams. The result of this is the certainty of a win. On the contrary, should we make a mistake that certainty is a failure.

Doesn’t take a genius to see why we are addicted to certainty.

But if change is a constant and as the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, Heraclitus urged us to, embrace it.

Look, life is not about having zero uncertainties. That would most definitely make a boring life.

It’s about being okay with not knowing what might come next but come what may, I will be okay.

It’s about having faith and believe that whatever the future holds, God has my back. This is not putting God to the test. We are leaving it open to what He has in mind.

Here are 5 ways to cope with uncertainties so you will be happier and be less worried.

1. Have a plan instead of expectations

It is said that the best way to avoid disappointment is not to have any expectations. While we can create our reality, there are still stuff that aren’t quite within our control.

Focus on what you’ll do to create and what you want to experience instead of expecting the future to give you something specific.

For example, you want to live a happy and worry-free life. You can have a job that you love and/or a thriving business. Are you proactively working on making that a reality so that you can live a happy and worry-free life?

2. Be open to possibilities

The thing about uncertainty that scares people most is the lack of control. This gets more unnerving if you don’t have a plan.

Going back to our earlier example of desiring a happy and worry-free life. If you currently do not love your job, are you doing anything to improve this situation? Sometimes ideas come in the most unlikely way. Be open minded.

3. Observe your thoughts and emotions

Let’s face it, the entire idea of uncertainty makes us feel unsure and grounds are shaky. When we indulge the idea, fear sets in and our emotions go wild!

The point about this fiasco is that it leads to speculation and then more feelings. Stop the cycle and recognise the feeling. Then remind yourself: “I can’t possibly predict the future, but I can help create it by fostering positive feelings about the possibilities.”

4. Be confident and adapt

There’s a difference between “expecting the worst” and being “prepared for the worst”. With the former, it could set you off in a negative spiral. The latter simply means you know how to cope should the worst case scenario happen. This could help you manage anxiety.

5. Focus on what you can control

We often overlook the little things that we can do to make life better while obsessing about the things beyond our control.

Using our earlier illustration, if you’re at a job you dislike, can you do something about that? Alternatively, can you spend your personal time during lunch or after work pursuing something that could pay bills and maybe even replace your salary?

As you can see, it’s really not about having no uncertainties. It’s learning how to cope with the unknown. In other words, stop bitching about life and proactively do something that can potentially change your life.

Are you ready to align with who you are meant to be?

With Love and Blessings

Break the Rules and Shine! Adeline Heng empowers women over 40 who look good outside, yet feel empty inside, to find herself and live her best life.