When Everything Feels Uncertain

Summary

Uncertainty can be overwhelming, especially when life feels out of your hands. This gentle guide explores why the unknown feels so heavy—and how to ground yourself in the present, even when the future is unclear.

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“Life is full of uncertainties”.

It sounds like a positive thing to me. Like, “enjoy the unexpected.”

But uncertainty can also feel heavy even when, or especially when people are experiencing the same pain.

“You are not alone” may give you comfort - that you’re not alone.

It can also demean your feelings - “You’re not alone so don’t complain”.

Many people are carrying stress about their lives - jobs, families, routines, beliefs, and the future.

As it’s about future events that may or may not happen, sometimes we don’t know how to feel about it.

This article is not to encourage you to take actions to make changes, but rather to pause, take a deep breath, and look around to feel the present.

In this article, I want to explore why uncertainty feels so overwhelming and how to feel steady even when the future seems daunting. We may not “enjoy” the unknown, but we will know how to make peace with it.

Section 1: Why Uncertainty Feels So Overwhelming

Our brains are wired to look for patterns—so when something feels off or unfamiliar, it signals a possible threat. That’s why predictability feels safe.

Uncertainty makes our brain go crazy, constantly worrying about “what might happen next”.

Our brain would rather face a hard truth than not know.

We’d rather rip the bandage off quickly than peel it off slowly. Right?

“Something bad might be happening” feels worse than “something bad happened”.

When our jobs, lives, and future feel uncertain, we feel anxious and unsafe.

Constant stress can make us restless and unmotivated, overthink small things, and even feel guilty for “not trying hard enough”.

Section 2: You Don’t Need to Know the Future to Find Peace Right Now

When we feel radical changes around us, we naturally worry and fear.

“Colleagues got fired”, “no more remote work”, “food getting expensive”, and so on.

How can we not worry “what’s next?”

We try to find the answer, as if that can finally bring our peace of mind.

Sometimes, the pressure to figure everything out becomes heavier than the uncertainty itself.

But what if we can feel calm without finding the answer?

Worrying is about the unknown future, while feeling calm is about the present.

Separating the future from the present can allow us to choose and focus on “now”.

We don’t have to fix everything now.

We can just rest without knowing “what’s next”.

Section 3: Gentle Ways to Ground Yourself (Choose What Works for You!)

Simple ways to focus on the present to feel calm:

Feel your feet

Maybe you want to take off your shoes. How’s the floor? Cold or rather warm?

It’s a simple way to come back to your body when you feel stressed.

The 5-4-3-2-1 Technique

Name 5 things you can see: Coffee mug? Pen? Anything in your immediate surroundings.

Name 4 things you can hear: Close your eyes to listen. Construction noise? People talking? A fan?

Name 3 things you can feel: Soft shirt? Hard floor? Wall? Focus on the texture or the solidity.

Name 2 things you can smell: Take a deep breath to notice the smell around you. Coffee? Neighbor cooking?

Name 1 thing you can taste: Tooth paste? Coffee? Or cookies you just had?

The point of this technique is to focus on the details, as if recreating the things in your head.

This can calm your nervous system, allowing you to feel more balanced, peaceful, and relaxed.

Create A Mini-Routine

Find something simple that can make you feel in control. It can be anything you like, such as coffee in the morning, step outside just to take a deep breath, or text your mom in the morning.

Limit Your Input

Too much information can make our brain tired and even biased sometimes, leading to stress and anxiety. Just limiting input can allow us to feel free and calm.

Write Down 3 Things That Feel Secure

Things change, but something may not change.

Friendship may never change though they may move out of the town.

The quality you offer may never change even when your career path shifts.

Your love may never fade though it may change its shape overtime.

You may not be the same person as you were a year ago, but you are still you. No one can take that away from you.

Section 4: You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Steady

Sometimes, the grounding technique may not work at all.

When we worry, we worry. It may feel inevitable, and that’s okay.

Just know that anxiety and worry can come and go, never stay forever.

Feeling grounded is a choice we can make even when everything around us seems messy.

We can choose not to allow anyone or anything to disturb our peace of mind.

You don’t need certainty to feel steady — you just need small moments of peace to carry with you.

Let’s take a deep breath in, filling your lungs with air.

And deep breath out to sigh, a big sigh your neighbor can hear.

How do you feel now?

Takeaway: Finding Peace in the Unknown

• Your brain craves clarity — but you don’t need all the answers to feel calm.
• Peace lives in the present, not in the future we can’t predict.
• Gentle practices like grounding, small routines, and limiting input can help ease anxiety.
• You don’t have to be perfect to feel steady.
• Even when life feels uncertain, your breath, your body, and your values are still here.

You are allowed to rest, even when you don’t know what’s next.