Uncertainty is a constant in our lives—whether you’re an athlete, other high-performer, or navigating everyday life. It shows up in our work, relationships, sports, health, society, environment, etc. It shows up everywhere and can come out of nowhere. At times, uncertainty can feel paralyzing and stop us in our tracks. At other times, uncertainty can feel like an annoyingly heavy backpack we wear all day long and can’t seem to get off.
Why can uncertainty feel so difficult to manage? Well, our brains are designed to hate it! We are wired to crave predictability and desire control. When the road ahead looks blurry, it can trigger stress, self-doubt, overwhelming emotions, and paralysis by analysis. Those emotional experiences exercerate our feelings of uncertainty and lack of control, making it all feel much worse.
If you can relate to this experience, I’m here to give you some good news.. You aren’t alone AND there are skills you can use to help manage and thrive through uncertainty!
Thriving through uncertainty isn’t about eliminating it… it’s about learning to move through it with greater ease. The most resilient individuals aren’t the ones with perfect control—they’re the ones who train themselves to stay grounded when control is nowhere in sight. They develop mental habits that keep them focused, flexible, and forward-moving, even when the outcome is unclear.
So what does that actually look like?
- Focus on controllables: What things are inside of our control, no matter what is happening? (1) What we do (2) What we think (3) What we say. During times of uncertainty, we can focus inwards and learn to direct our attention and efforts towards desired/helpful behaviors, thoughts, and comments/self-talk.
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Prepare with a stance of acceptance towards whatever comes. Practice Psychological Flexibility. Rigidity breaks under pressure. Flexibility bends and adapts. Mental performance isn’t about always feeling confident—it’s about being able to take action even when you don’t.
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Focus on the present moment: When the future is foggy, bring your focus to what’s right in front of you. One breath. One rep. One step. Control the controllables, and let the rest be background noise.
Want to learn more about ways to manage uncertainty by focusing on the present moment controllables? Let’s connect.. I’m happy to help.
Dr. Jacqueline Douglas
To learn more about controllables vs uncontrollables, read our blog post “Why Focusing on the Process – Not Just Results – Improves Performance and Well-Being” here: https://reachingahead.com/process-vs-outcome-performance/