5 keys to managing uncertainty

Working with the unknown or with what has not yet happened is frequent, it is part of our daily landscape. All planning involves looking into the future and trying to guess what will happen.. However, if managing uncertainty is difficult, anxiety and chronic worry may take over the decisions you make.

In this article you can find a definition of this concept and some keys to manage it proactively. Tolerating and working with what is unknown can be a great gift.

What is intolerance of uncertainty?

Tolerance to uncertainty is the difficulty in coping with situations in which we cannot control all the factors.. Generally, people who cannot manage uncertainty adequately feel great anxiety about negative events that may occur and try to make decisions without taking any risk.

These people usually need cognitive closure, that is, a definitive answer to their doubts that leaves nothing open. This closure implies a certainty to which we can hold on and around which we can make decisions without any type of risk.

Biases associated with poor management of uncertainty

Low tolerance for the unknown is based on a series of thoughts that, unconsciously, maintain and feed the fear of what is to come. These are the most common:

It is often thought that controlling the process means controlling the result.: This way you avoid looking for solutions to questions that have no answers. But, since they don’t have it, the process feeds on itself. “The more you try, the more chances of success you have”: it is not true. Since there are uncontrollable things, something can always happen that disrupts plans, although this does not mean that the desire to fight should be lost. Tendency to predict the future to avoid possible negative events, so that one tends to overestimate their appearance.

5 keys to managing uncertainty

As you see, concerns are common to existence itself, consonant with the act of living. However, so that this does not reach disabling or unpleasant extremes, here are a few tricks to handle it in the best possible way.

1. Redirect emotions

The emotion that predominates when something cannot be controlled is fear.. Fear that something that has not been foreseen will happen, fear that what you do have in mind will come true, or fear of the negative consequences of an event.

When it comes to achieving a goal, the energy that this fear consumes – in addition to the anger, frustration and worry that accompanies it – can be very intense. This energy that fear consumes is a lot, redirect it to focus on your goals.

2. Accept that there are things that cannot be controlled

Not only are there factors that you know and do not control, but There are factors that are influencing or could influence and you don’t even know.

Verbalizing it can be terrifying, just as it can be wonderful to have certain knots unravel on their own. In this sense, it is important not to get lost in the negative.

3. Be flexible to manage uncertainty

This goes hand in hand with the previous point. Just as it is not possible to control all the extraneous variables in a situation, it is also not good to make plans that do not allow changes.

4. It is not a solo path

There are also individual differences in tolerance for uncertainty, so each person has their own tricks to handle it well. Learn from others, work as a team. And, of course, if you feel discomfort that is affecting your daily life, seek the help of a professional.

5. To manage uncertainty, start with small things

When the difficulty in dealing with the unknown is widespread, it is not useful to start overcoming it by making big life decisions. Start with small things: take small risks, you will see how your tolerance increases little by little.

Events that have not yet occurred or circumstances that have not yet occurred can be exciting for some and a great source of distress for others. If there is someone in your environment who suffers from them, the support of the group is essential to overcome fears of any kind. Lean in and support others.

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