Tolerating Uncertainty

This week I wanted to share a personal growth area I’m working on, in the hopes it may help some of you too.

When I’m facing a challenge that I have to wait on, that waiting space can feel almost intolerable to me. My mind starts circling the problem, trying to find certainty in a situation that can’t provide it yet.

I can feel anxious, run down, distracted, and unmotivated. The problem and every possible solution cycle through my mind like dirty clothes in a washing machine.

Eventually, I need a reset.

Not to pretend the problem isn’t real or force myself into feeling better. Just to keep one unresolved thing from becoming the whole picture of my life.

That’s the idea behind our free Positivity Reframe & Gratitude Reset.

Maybe you’re waiting for an answer, a decision, more information, or for something completely outside your control to work itself out.

Here’s the simple practice I use.

1. Pause and notice

Start by noticing what is weighing on you right now.

Take a breath and write it down.

Then try to name the thought exactly as it comes up — without adding judgment, labels, or explanations.

Sometimes simply seeing the thought clearly helps create a little space around it.

2. Try a gentle reframe

Ask yourself:

Is there another way to see this?

You don’t need to convince yourself that everything is fine or find a positive spin.

A reframe can be as simple as:

This is hard, and I don’t know how it’s going to work out yet.

That can be enough.

3. Widen the picture

Now deliberately notice what else is true.

What is going well today?

What are you working toward?

What are you grateful for?

These things don’t cancel out the problem. They simply help put it back into proportion.

One part of your life can feel uncertain while other parts are steady, meaningful, or even really good.

The hard thing is true. The good things are true too.

4. Shift your attention

Choose one bright spot or one thing you’re grateful for that feels especially meaningful today.

Stay with it for a few seconds.

Breathe it in. Let yourself actually notice how it feels.

Then choose one positive thought or statement you want to carry with you as you move forward with your day.

The problem may still be waiting for you later.

But it doesn’t need all of your attention while you wait.

A little trick I use: the parking lot

If I have a worry that I truly can’t do anything about, sometimes I write it on a small piece of paper and put it in a pretty vase in my closet.

That’s my parking lot for unresolved worries.

Later, I’ll look back and see what happened.

I love noticing how many things eventually worked themselves out, became less important, or unfolded completely differently than I expected.

Worrying about them every day wouldn’t have changed the outcome.

Sometimes there really is nothing left to figure out today.

You can let the problem sit somewhere safe and go back to your life.

If you found this practice helpful, share it with a friend who might need it too.

And if you'd like more simple, supportive practices, you can find them here: