Managing Your Mind in Uncertain Times
Our brains aren't wired for this much uncertainty, and when the brain doesn’t know the answer, it attempts to figure out what it all means.
We are meaning-making machines.
We're constantly on high alert between RTO, pandemic aftereffects, economic fluctuations, and job market turbulence. We put a lot of energy into attempting to be certain before deciding. We attempt to predict the future, creating doom scenarios that may never materialize. Our brains try to prepare us, so there's a gravitational pull towards the worst-case (or just a pretty crappy-case scenario). When we attempt to make meaning, we typically default to the negative.
Uncertainty is the companion of measurable impacts.
A 2023 McKinsey survey found 79% of employees lose an average of 2.1 hours daily to worry-related distraction, while the American Psychological Association reports 64% of professionals cite uncertainty as their primary workplace stressor. Uncertainty erodes relationships and innovation, with companies experiencing a 31% decrease in creative problem-solving during uncertain periods.
Managing Your Mind: The Path Forward
The antidote to uncertainty isn't certainty—it's presence.
When anchored in the present moment, we recognize that right now, we're okay. Research from the University of California found that individuals practicing mindfulness show a 28% reduction in stress hormones and report 40% improvement in focus during uncertain periods.
A few years back, I learned this lesson vividly during an equine therapy session. I love horses. I was standing in a ring with a 1,200-pound horse circling me; my mind raced. I was terrified of falling again. As my anxiety peaked, the therapist reminded me: "Don’t Move. Stay present. Deep breaths.”
While I could see the horse off in the distance galloping towards me, the impact wasn’t happening now. Or now. The therapist tried teaching me the benefit of staying present in real-time.
In the present, I can think. When I take a future trip, my brain has too many scenarios to understand. What if the horse makes an impact? What if I run? What if I crouch into a ball?
I realized nothing bad was actually occurring. The horse was simply running his pattern. My fear wasn't about the present reality but about a catastrophic future I had invented. When I anchored myself in the present—feeling my feet on the ground, noticing my breathing—my fear began to subside. I was still shaky, but I was able to be the watcher of this experience even while I was still in it. My body was quaking. However, my mind slowed down, and I was able to decide what to do next.
When we learn how to manage our minds in uncertainty, we learn how to handle situations we didn’t think possible. In reality, nothing is certain except your identity. Managing uncertainty requires:
Separating fact from story. Then choose how you want to think about the facts.
Viewing "failures" as learning opportunities. See #1. Choose how you want to think about the circumstances.
Managing your thoughts consciously
Going to therapy when you are in crisis will certainly help, but it would have been easier to build the muscle before you were in crisis. It’s the same for coaching. We want to increase our capacity to stay present and build the growth mindset muscle so that we can tap it when we need it. When we practice regularly, we have the tools to handle challenging confrontations, high-pressure deliverables, company restructuring, and lay-offs while maintaining our well-being. Below are a few tips you can practice today.
Practical Tactics for Staying Present
The 5-4-3-2-1 Technique: Identify five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. This rapidly brings you back to the present.
Three-Minute Breathing Space: Take one minute to acknowledge current thoughts without judgment, a second minute focusing solely on breath, and a third expanding awareness to your whole body.
Self-Compassion: Speak to yourself as you would someone you love. When anxiety strikes, try: "It's alright. We've handled difficult situations before." Self-compassion activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing cortisol levels and allowing clearer thought.
By practicing presence, we navigate uncertainty without being consumed by it, maintaining focus, creativity, and connection despite the unknown ahead. When you know your personal brand, your strengths, values, and beliefs, you can respond rather than react.
When you're ready for the expert support to help you navigate uncertainty, schedule a consultant HERE, and let’s strategize what’s possible for you.