Info Accepting Uncertainty

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The inability to tolerate uncertainty is an
attitude many people have towards life.
When one has this attitude,
uncertainty, unpredictability, and doubt are
seen as awful and unbearable experiences
that must be avoided at all costs.

If you hate uncertainty, then you may perceive worrying
to be useful to you. You may think that worrying is a
way of preparing yourself for the worst getting you
ready for anything that might happen. Worrying might
be seen as a way of attempting to predict life so that
there are no nasty surprises. As such, worrying
reduces your experience of uncertainty and
unpredictability. And because worrying reduces your
feelings of uncertainty, you will continue worrying and
worrying and worrying. In other words, worrying helps
you believe that you have more control and certainty in
life.

In reality, has your worrying
made anything more certain or
more predictable? Does
worrying really change the
outcome of what will happen?
Unfortunately, life is still as
uncertain and unpredictable as it
ever was, it is only your perception that you somehow
have more control that has changed. But is this really
true? In fact, all you have done is think of all the worst
case scenarios, worked yourself up, made yourself feel
really bad in the process and often paralysed yourself
from taking any action. So, ask yourself, is worrying
about uncertainty really worth it? Maybe it is time to
consider a different way?

There are two main strategies for learning how to
accept uncertainty and thus reduce worry.

1. Challenging Intolerance of
Uncertainy

Ask yourself the following questions and write down
your responses. See if you can come to an
understanding of the disadvantages and problems of
being intolerant of uncertainty.

Is it possible to be certain about everything in life?
What are the advantages of requiring certainty,
versus the disadvantages? Or, how is needing
certainty in life helpful and unhelpful?
Do you tend to predict bad things will happen just
because they are uncertain? Is this a reasonable thing
to do? What is the likelihood of positive or neutral
outcomes?
How likely is it that things you predict will happen? Is
it possible to live with the small chance that
something negative may happen, given its likelihood is
very low?
Can you live with some of the uncertainties of life?
How do you do this? And can you do this in other
situations you find diffiult?
Ask a friend how they cope with uncertainty, see if
you can learn a few tips from them?

2. Acceptance and Mindfulness

When you are intolerant of uncertainty, your mind tends
to be focused on the future. An antidote to this style of
thinking is to practice becoming more present focused
and accepting of your current experience. That is, more
mindful. The steps to being more accepting and mindful
are explained in the infosheets What is Mindfulness? and
Mindfulness & Letting Go. Three basic steps to follow are:

Being aware of what you are currently thinking and
what you are feeling in your body. Use the feeling of
your breath to remain present. What are you
noticing when you are needing certainty?
Acknowledge these thoughts and feelings, maybe
saying ah, so that's how it is.

Letting go of the need for a quick fix, by saying
something to help you let go of the need for
certainty. Maybe its only a
need for certainty thought, just
let it go.

Being Non-judgmental, by
bringing a gentle curiosity to
the thoughts that drift by
without judging them or trying
to change them. Then return your focus to the here
and now of your experience. Focus your attention
fully on sounds around your or sensations in the
body, or your breath, or the task at hand.

uncertainty
accepting
This document is for information purposes only. Please refer to the full disclaimer and
copyright statement available at http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au regarding the infor-
mation from this website before making use of such information.
See website www.cci.health.wa.gov.au for more handouts and resources.

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