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Uncertainty is a natural part of life, and it is associated with mental health challenges.

Cultivating curiosity and spaciousness can help buffer these challenges.

Choosing intentional, values-aligned actions amid uncertainty can bring meaning.

By Lizabeth Roemer, Ph.D., and Josh Bartok, M.S.

In times such as these, life may seem more uncertain than ever—but meeting uncertainty has always been part of our lives. Whenever we try new things, we are putting ourselves into uncertain contexts that could contain social threats, disappointments, or hurt. When our routines change (due to a new school year, transition at work, move, birth, death, or break-up), we face uncertainty about how we will adapt and what the near or far future might look like. And of course, right now, our sociopolitical context is filled with sources of uncertainty—the impact of climate change, high-stakes political upheavals, economic challenges, and other injustices and sources of real and potential harm.

Psychological research indicates that uncertainty is related to mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression. It is human to experience fear and distress, and it is human to have a desire to constrict or avoid when faced with uncertain threats or challenges. Often uncertain contexts lead to habits of worry—trying to plan, predict, or avoid threat by going through possibilities in our mind and choosing actions that will, we superstitiously........

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