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 , so it has been useful for the development of our species.

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

Keys to Overcoming 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 to 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 can affect all of us to a greater or lesser extent, but there are people who, due to the great confidence they have in their possibilities, the healthy self-esteem they possess and the ease of self-motivation, manage to overcome it. On the other hand, the fear of uncertainty causes a great discomfort , but the worst thing of all is that it immobilizes the person who suffers 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 all our 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 the experience helps to reduce anxiety because the body relaxes and does not become defensive.

2. Experience it and take action

This fear is often irrational, which is why it is difficult to get rid of. These irrational fears arise because we elaborate certain hypotheses about future situations, hypotheses that we do not manage to contrast and, therefore, we do not get to 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 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 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 don’t know it at that moment). So, to keep our mind far from the future, we better have it in the present, which is the only moment we can live.

This doesn’t mean that we can’t have goals and plan for them , but that we have to touch the ground and live the here and now in its fullness.

4. Practice self-pity

Self-pity refers to accepting the failures that may happen in our life and treating ourselves with love. People can be very hard on themselves, 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 mentality towards ourselves and treat ourselves with compassion.

5. Mindfulness practice

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

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

6. Looking for a motivation

A tool that can be useful to overcome the fear of uncertainty is to find our motivations , make them conscious 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 in order to go step by step towards greater objectives.

7. Improves self-confidence

Self-confidence is key in any change process. 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. Although overconfidence or false self-confidence is not good, self-confidence allows us to face the fear of uncertainty with guarantees.

8. Use coaching

Sometimes it can be difficult to bring about change and overcome the fear of uncertainty because we know ourselves, we don’t know where we want to go, and we are not able to motivate ourselves. In these cases it is interesting to seek the help of a psychologist specialised 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 plan objectives and achieve realistic goals
  • Tears down limiting beliefs such as fear of uncertainty
  • Makes you more creative
  • Provides flexibility and adaptability to change
  • Empowering
  • Reduces stress and allows for better time management
  • Makes you more self-aware
  • Increases self-confidence
  • Helps to 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)”