By GIlmara Vila Nova-Mitchell
It is easy to feel overwhelmed nowadays. We can’t control the weather, the competition, the economy, and so many other variables!
The truth is our brains are not hardwired for modern life, especially when it comes to dealing with uncertainty. But there are strategies we can use to override our brain’s irrational tendencies and navigate uncertainty effectively.
Our brain’s default strategy for responding to uncertainty worked great hundreds of years ago when fear would ensure the survival of primitive people. However, modern life leads us to make many decisions on a frequent basis with little information. As we know, shifting control over to the limbic system does not always lead us to the best outcomes. (Read: The Impact of Stress on Your Body and Brain)
We are wired to react to uncertainty with fear. Research shows that the less information we have on a particular context, the more irrational our decisions tend to become. As uncertainty increases, our brains shift control over to the limbic system, the place where anxiety and fear (among other emotions) are generated.
Our natural response to uncertainty is often to overreact, get anxious, or become fearful. (Read: Understanding the Five Major Stress Responses and Their Impact on Workplace Behavior). The people who navigate uncertainty most effectively are those capable of bypassing this mechanism and shifting their response. Here are some strategies that you can use to improve your ability to make good decisions when you are facing uncertainty:
- Quiet your limbic system – Label all your irrational fears until your limbic system quiets down. (For more on how to do that, read: Amygdala Triggered? Here are Three Ways to Quiet it Down).
- Identify what is certain– In any given situation, there are things you know and things you do not know. Make a list of what you know for sure and compare it to what is uncertain. This helps us feel we have some control over the situation.
- Place focus on solutions– When we focus on the solution and what we will do to make things better, things start looking more hopeful. Focusing on the uncertainty creates stress which affects how we can respond. Nothing feels better than having a “next steps” list when facing uncertainty!
- Trust your gut– In primitive times, people relied on their intuition for survival. The nature of our decisions has changed, and as they become less survival-oriented, we have lost touch with our intuition. We simply do not need to rely on it as much! We need to start getting in tune with our intuitive sense again by testing our gut instinct for small decisions until we can feel more comfortable relying on it for higher-stakes decisions. Our gut feeling can be a powerful tool in pointing us in the best direction when uncertainty arises.
- Breathe– Breathing slowly can calm the body and help us respond better in the face of uncertainty. Focusing on our breathing distracts the body and sends a message that we are ok so we are able to move forward without feeling paralyzed or overwhelmed.
What’s Next?
Our capacity to manage uncertainty is one of the most important skills we can cultivate in an increasingly complex world.
Which one of these strategies do you already use to self-regulate when facing uncertainty? Which would you add?
If your team is struggling to manage uncertainty at work, we can help.
Sarah Noll Wilson is on a mission to help leaders build and rebuild teams. She aims to empower leaders to understand and honor the beautiful complexity of the humans they serve. Through her work as an Executive Coach, an in-demand Keynote Speaker, Researcher, Contributor to Harvard Business Review, and Bestselling Author of “Don’t Feed the Elephants”, Sarah helps leaders close the gap between what they intend to do and the actual impact they make. She hosts the podcast “Conversations on Conversations”, is certified in Co-Active Coaching and Conversational Intelligence, and is a frequent guest lecturer at universities. In addition to her work with organizations, Sarah is a passionate advocate for mental health.
