Coping with uncertainty
Recent findings from New Scientist consultant Helen Thompson recently revealed that our ability to tolerate periods of uncertainty has decreased over the past few decades, which may be one factor in understanding how many of us struggling mentally with the lockdown measures brought about in recent months by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Not knowing how a situation is going to be resolved isn’t nice. As human beings we like to know what is going on, and for our curiosity to be satisfied. Our brains are geared towards this…
“Our perception of the world is generated by combining memories of our past with information from our senses, to make educated guesses about what is about to happen…”
New Scientist magazine
This has profound implications for other areas of our lives - from the choices we make, how we cope with periods of personal struggle, the afore mentioned pandemic, political change and even climate change!
Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University have found that if we know something bad is going to happen we’re better able to cope, as even though we know we’re heading for a bad outcome we can prepare and plan for the future. If the outcome could be either positive or negative on the other hand we’re less prepared for either outcome. Scientists have termed this trait our “intolerance of uncertainty”.
What we found interesting from the research is that people who display a higher degree of intolerance towards uncertainty begin to adapt their behaviour. Researchers have created the term ‘safety behaviours‘ to explain this phenomenon.
“Safety behaviours are seen to minimise uncertainty and the associated anxiety, however, paradoxically may make things worse”
“Someone phoning their partner all of the time to check in with them, is a prime example”
New Scientist magazine
Dealing with uncertainty in a positive way
In the world we now live in where disruption is ubiquitous, how do you deal with uncertainty?
Trained therapists use a technique called “catatrophising interview” in which their client will be asked to consider a current concern. Then they question you and dig beneath the surface constantly pushing them to understand what it is that is the real worry, until they get to the root cause.
In the real world, one train of thought is that our intolerance of uncertainty should be treated like phobia, i.e. if you’re scared of dogs, you would be exposed to them slowly and carefully to help you develop the understanding that dogs are not dangerous.
Here are six steps you could take when you find that your life is in a state of limbo:
Make a note of any “safety behaviours” you reply on to cope. This awareness will help you to reduce them over time
Challenge yourself to let uncertainty ‘play out’
Assume the best outcome for as long as possible, maintaining a positive outlook
Distract yourself with other activities to pass the period of uncertainty quicker
Practice mindfulness and/or meditation to maintain a focus on the present
Talk to others about how they cope with periods of uncertainty, see things from others perspectives
Uncertainty isn’t going away any time soon, so it’s important we build a level of resilience in order to deal with it in the right way.
Click here to take the New Scientist Quiz on how well you cope with uncertainty.
Further reading:
Helen Thomson - Unthinkable: An extraordinary journey through the world’s strangest brains