Fear of uncertainty: 8 keys to overcome it

Human beings can be afraid for the most varied reasons, and although many times we associate them with something negative, sometimes it is an adaptive reaction that appears in dangerous situations, so it has been useful for the development of our species.

However, not all fears have this positive characteristic. Some people may experience irrational fears or excessive worries in the face of harmless stimuli or situations that are not actually negative. One of these fears is fear of uncertainty or the unknown, a feeling that interferes in our personal development and our process of change for the better.

• Related article: "7 fears and fears that hold back your personal and work success"

Keys to overcoming the fear of uncertainty

The fear of uncertainty can be disabling because it does not allow you to leave the comfort zone. The person prefers the known bad than what may come.

But how is it possible to overcome the fear of the unknown? In the following lines we explain it to you.

1. Accept it

The fear of uncertainty is a fear that to a greater or lesser extent can affect us all, but there are people who, due to the great confidence they have in their possibilities, the healthy self-esteem they have and the ease of self-motivation, they achieve get over it. On the other hand,

fear of uncertainty causes great discomfort, but worst of all is that it immobilizes the person who suffers it, since it feeds the appearance of thoughts that sabotage our own possibilities to learn and undertake interesting projects. It does not let us be who we want to be, or exploit our full potential.

One of the best ways to overcome the fear of uncertainty is to accept it. Accepting that fear exists and that worries about the uncertainty of the future are suffered by everyone. Accepting experience helps reduce anxietyBecause the body relaxes and does not become defensive.

2. Experience it and take action

This fear is characterized by being, on many occasions, an irrational fear; that is why it is difficult to get rid of it. These irrational fears arise because we elaborate certain hypotheses about future situations, hypotheses that we do not get to contrast and, therefore, we do not know if they are true.

Many times when we step forward and act against our fear, we will realize that these limiting thoughts were unrealistic and our prediction of the future was wrong. Therefore, despite having a certain fear and anxiety about change and uncertainty, exposing ourselves to this fear may help us realize that our thoughts were just that, biased interpretations, and not the reality.

3. Live the present

When we are afraid of uncertainty it is because we live immersed in unrealistic expectations, that is, what we think is not true (or at least we do not know at the time). So to keep the mind away from the future, better to have it in the present, which is the only moment we can live.

That does not mean that we cannot have goals and plan them, but you have to touch with your feet on the ground and live the here and now in its fullness.

4. Practice self-compassion

Self-pity refers to accept the failures that may happen in our life and treat ourselves with affection. People can be very hard on ourselves, and when things don't go our way, we can be our worst critics. Therefore, it is not only necessary to accept the experience and live in the present, but we have to have a non-judgmental mindset towards ourselves and treat ourselves with compassion.

5. Mindfulness practice

Mindfulness is a practice that contains all the previous points. Although in psychology it can be used as a therapeutic method thanks to some programs such as the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) o The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR), is a philosophy of life with some basic principles that can improve our emotional health.

It consists of becoming an observer of the experience, have a non-judgmental mindset, treat yourself with compassion, and live in the here and now. In addition to being aware of the reality that surrounds us, it also helps to develop mindfulness thanks to different techniques such as meditation.

• Related article: "What is Mindfulness? The 7 answers to your questions”

6. Look for a motivation

A tool that can be useful to overcome the fear of uncertainty is find our motivations, make them aware and plan our objectives so that we have a more realistic image of the future that awaits us. In this sense, it is important to set short-term goals to go step by step towards greater objectives.

7. Improve your confidence

Self-confidence is key in any change process. In fact, self-confidence or self-efficacy high helps us empower ourselves in the face of change and to think that the challenges we take on are possible and achievable. Although overconfidence or false self-confidence are not good, self-confidence allows you to face the fear of uncertainty with guarantees.

8. Turn to coaching

Sometimes it can be difficult to carry out change and overcome the fear of uncertainty because we know ourselves, we do not know where we want to go, nor are we able to motivate ourselves. In these cases it is interesting to seek the help of a psychologist specialized in coaching so that through different dynamics and exercises you can reflect on who you are, the path you want to go and thus empower yourself in the face of life and change.

Some of the benefits of coaching are:

• Helps plan objectives and achieve realistic goals
• Break down limiting beliefs like fear of uncertainty
• Makes you more creative
• Provides flexibility and adaptability to change
• Empowers
• Reduces stress and allows better time management
• Makes you more self-aware
• Increase self-confidence
• Help go further
• Improves well-being

If you want to know more about these benefits, you can read this article: "The 10 benefits of Coaching (keys to your personal development)”