Dealing with uncertainty and change
As humans, we tend to prefer things to stay the same. We like order, predictability and consistency. Most of us can cope with a certain amount of unexpected events and change, and some people even thrive when things feel uncertain or unpredictable.
The difference between thriving in an ever-changing world and floundering often comes down to whether we view uncertainty as a threat or a challenge. When faced with constantly shifting situations or problems, it is easy to become overwhelmed and to feel helpless or inadequate.
Someone who thrives in uncertainty often enjoys the challenge of generating creative ideas and finding ways to make something work. Someone who struggles will naturally look for obstacles, problems, potential issues and the likelihood of failure.
Our response to uncertainty is rooted in a primal instinct designed to keep us alive by scanning for threats. Some describe this as the rational, analytical right-brain approach, which focuses on examining what could go wrong, drawing on past negative experiences while overlooking the positives. This creates an expectation of negative or catastrophic outcomes.
This way of thinking keeps a person stuck in a cycle of perceived threat and the familiar fight, flight, freeze or fawn responses. With each new uncertain situation, the belief that everything goes wrong becomes more ingrained, reinforcing a focus on problems rather than solutions.
Those who have moved beyond this outdated instinct have learned to use a different style of thinking, often considered the creative left-brain approach.
This approach differs in several key ways. When faced with something new, uncertain or changeable, the thought process looks like this:
• How many possible ways can I think of to resolve or overcome this, without judging or analysing the ideas, however unusual they seem?
• Which of these ideas is viable, and which viable option is most likely to work?
• Which is the best option? Then let me do that.
For people who thrive in uncertainty, this happens within seconds. They have trained their minds so this becomes an automatic response. It feels effortless, enjoyable and inspiring, which further enhances creativity and solution-focused thinking.
If this process is unfamiliar, it will feel awkward at first. It will take effort and you may need to write your ideas down. Allow yourself 10 to 20 minutes initially. With practice, it will become much quicker.
You will also notice an immediate urge to dismiss ideas with thoughts such as "that will not work". This is completely normal. That automatic judgement is part of what keeps you stuck in anxiety around uncertainty and change.
Your judgement has become an autopilot system that always leads to the belief that everything goes wrong. It is quick, familiar and well-practised. Just as others have trained themselves to generate solutions, you have become highly skilled at spotting problems, even within solutions.
To interrupt this negative judgement pattern, imagine playing hide and seek. In this version of the game, the negative judgement is the saboteur hiding from you. Once you find the hider, the game is over. Similarly, once you notice the judgemental response in a lighthearted way, your brain shifts from analytical right-brain mode into creative, solution-focused left-brain thinking. The judgement loses its power.
You can even give this judgemental autopilot a name. It may be time for it to take a long holiday.
Silencing the noisy mind
Sometimes the mind is simply too loud to think creatively. Thoughts race, loop and tumble over one another, and every "what if" seems to shout louder than the last. This is your nervous system doing its job, trying to protect you. It is very difficult to generate fresh ideas from that place, so the first step is often to turn the volume down.
Here are some simple ways to quieten the noise:
• Lengthen your out-breath. Breathe in gently through your nose for a count of four, then breathe out slowly for a count of six to eight. A longer exhale tells your body it is safe, and the mind tends to follow. Five or six rounds is often enough to notice a shift.
• Widen your gaze. Pick a spot slightly above eye level and let your vision soften and spread outwards until you are aware of the edges of the room, or the trees and sky around you, without looking directly at anything. It is very hard to hold onto anxious chatter while you are in this relaxed, expansive way of seeing.
• Come back to your senses. Notice five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can feel, two you can smell and one you can taste. This gently draws your attention out of your head and into the present moment, where the problem is usually far smaller than it feels.
• Empty your head onto paper. Write down every thought, worry and to-do without editing or organising. Once it is on the page, your mind no longer has to keep repeating it to make sure you do not forget.
• Name it to tame it. Rather than arguing with your thoughts, simply notice them: "Ah, there is the worrying again." Labelling a thought creates a little space between you and it. You are the one noticing the noise, not the noise itself.
• Give your worries an appointment. If thoughts keep crowding in, set aside 15 minutes later in the day as your worry time. When a worry pops up, tell it, "Not now, I will see you at four o'clock." You may find that by the time the appointment comes, many of them no longer feel urgent.
• Get outside and move. Feel your feet on the earth, walk, stretch, or shake out your arms and legs. Fresh air, natural light and movement help release the stress chemistry that keeps thoughts spinning. Even a few minutes in the garden or a short walk under open sky can bring you back to yourself.
You do not need to do all of these. Find one or two that feel natural and come back to them often. The more you practise when you are calm, the more easily your body will remember them when life feels uncertain.
Once the noise has settled, even a little, you are ready to move into creative, solution-focused thinking.
Whenever you sense panic, overwhelm or helplessness in an uncertain situation, pause and take the following steps:
• Take a few moments to quieten your mind using one of the techniques above.
• Write down as many creative ideas as you can for solving the problem or finding a way forward.
• Each time you hear the dismissive inner voice, say aloud, "I see you. Game over."
• Look at your list and identify the ideas that are viable.
• Choose the most promising option.
• Take action.
Of course, remember to apply reasonableness and ecological checks to ensure that any idea or action is safe, sensible and aligned with who you are and your environment.
A saying that helped me shift from problem-focused thinking to a creative, solution-focused mindset is this:
You can only make the best decision you can at the time you make it, based on the information, knowledge, experience and understanding you have in that moment.
That is all any of us are doing. Making the best decisions we can with what we have.
If new information or understanding appears, simply repeat the process.
