Fear of uncertainty: 8 keys to overcoming it

Certain types of feelings can lead us to hinder our own growth.

Human beings can be afraid for the most varied reasons, and although we often associate them with something negative, sometimes it is an adaptive reaction that appears in dangerous situations. an adaptive reaction that appears in situations of danger.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 really negative. One such fear is fear of uncertainty or fear of the unknowna feeling that interferes with our personal development and our process of change for the better.

Keys to overcoming the fear of uncertainty

Fear of uncertainty can be disabling because it does not allow you to leave your comfort zone. The person prefers the known bad rather 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, manage to overcome it. On the other hand, the fear of uncertainty causes great discomfort.But worst of all, it immobilizes the person who suffers from it, since it feeds the appearance of thoughts that sabotage our own possibilities of learning and undertaking interesting projects. It does not allow us to be who we want to be, nor to exploit our full potential.

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

2. Experience it and take action

This fear is characterized by being, in 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 get to know if they are true.

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

3. Live in the present

When we feel fear of uncertainty it is because we live immersed in unrealistic expectations. we live immersed in unrealistic expectationsThat is, what we think is not true (or at least we don't know it at the time). So to keep our minds off the future, it is better to keep them in the present, which is the only moment we can live.

That doesn't mean that we can't have goals and plan for them.But we have to play with our feet on the ground and live the here and now in its fullness.

4. Practice self-compassion

Self-compassion refers to accepting the failures that may occur in our lives and treating ourselves with affection. People can be very hard on ourselves, and when things don't go our way, we can be our own worst critics. Therefore, not only do we need to accept the experience and live in the present, but we need to have a non-judgmental mindset towards ourselves and treat ourselves with compassion.

5. Mindfulness Practice

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

It consists of becoming an observer of the experienceIt consists of becoming an observer of experience, having a non-judgmental mindset, treating oneself with compassion and living in the here and now. In addition to being aware of the reality that surrounds us, it also helps to develop mindfulness through various techniques such as meditation.

6. Find a motivation

A tool that can be useful in overcoming the fear of uncertainty is to find our motivationsIt is important to make them conscious and to plan our goals so that we have a more realistic picture of the future that awaits us. In this sense, it is important to set short-term goals to go step by step towards bigger goals.

7. Improve your self-confidence

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

8. Use coaching

Sometimes it can be difficult to carry out change and overcome the fear of uncertainty because we do not 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 specializing in coaching so that through different dynamics and exercises you can reflect on who you are, the path you want to take and thus empower yourself in the face of life and change.

Some of the benefits of coaching are:

• Helps to plan objectives and achieve realistic goals
• Breaks down limiting beliefs such as fear of uncertainty.
• Makes you more creative
• Provides flexibility and adaptability to change
• Empowers
• Reduces stress and enables better time management
• Makes you more self-aware
• Increases self-confidence
• Helps you go further
• Improves well-being

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