Human beings can be afraid for the most varied reasons, and although we often associate them with something negative, sometimes it is about 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 about harmless stimuli or situations that are not actually negative. One of these fears is fear of uncertainty or the unknown a feeling that interferes with our personal development and our process of change for the better.
The fear of uncertainty can be disabling because it does not allow you to leave your comfort zone. The person prefers the bad known 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 can affect us all 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, fear of uncertainty causes great discomfort, but the worst of all is that it immobilizes the person who suffers from it, since it fuels the appearance of thoughts that sabotage our own possibilities of learning and undertaking interesting projects. It doesn’t 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 the experience helps reduce anxiety, as 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’s why it’s hard to get rid of it. These irrational fears arise because we make certain hypotheses about future situations, hypotheses that we do not test 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 not realistic 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 feel 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 it at that moment). So to keep your mind away from the future, it is better to keep it in the present, which is the only moment we can live.
That doesn’t mean we can’t have goals and plan them but you have to touch your feet on the ground and live the here and now in its fullness.
Self-compassion refers to accept the failures that may happen in our lives and treat ourselves with love. People can be very hard on ourselves, and when things don’t go our way, we can be our own 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 mentality towards ourselves and treat ourselves with compassion.
5. Mindfulness Practice
Mindfulness is a practice that contains all of the previous 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 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.
6. Look for 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 larger objectives.
7. Improve self-confidence
Self-confidence is key in any change process. In fact, high self-confidence or self-efficacy 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 us to face the fear of uncertainty with guarantees.
Sometimes it can be difficult to make 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 take and thus empower yourself in the face of life and change.
Some of the benefits of coaching are:
If you want to know more about these benefits, you can read this article: “The 10 benefits of Coaching (keys to your personal development)”
