Uncertainty is something we all encounter in one form or another. There is a comfort that comes with predictability and familiarity, and change—even wonderful change—comes an element of not knowing for sure what lies ahead. That’s where uncertainty strikes: the grey in-between where we know a change, a decision, a transition, is coming, but don’t yet know what it looks like or what the full experience will bring. It’s safe to say life has felt uncertain for many of us in different ways over the last couple of years, so here are 15 journaling prompts for dealing with uncertainty. Feel free to cherry-pick those that resonate with you; I hope you find them useful.
- What specifically feels uncertain right now?
It can be useful to translate a vague sense of uncertainty into specific things: for example, will there be another lockdown in our area? Will everything go smoothly with our house move? Will we be able to take that trip we have planned? Do I want to have a baby? Should I change jobs? Am I happy in this relationship? - What worries does this uncertainty evoke? What needs feel threatened by this uncertainty? You might find it helpful to refer to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs or this Needs Inventory from the Center for Nonviolent Communication to better understand the flavour of these worries.
- How does your uncertainty show up as physical feelings in your body?
Where does the feeling show up? Can you take some deep breaths and consciously try to relax that area with each exhale? - How have I been dealing with this uncertainty so far?
We all have healthy self-care strategies, like talking to a trusted friend and spending more time outside. And we all have less healthy coping strategies, like over-eating, taking out our stress on the people around us, or spending too much. Try to be honest without judgment about how you’ve been responding so far. - How would you like to deal with the uncertainty from now on? What feels like a self-caring way to approach it?
- What is my ideal outcome here? How do I hope this uncertainty will resolve?
- What is my worst-case scenario? What would be a disaster?
Elaborating on our worst-case scenario can be helpful for gaining perspective about the roots of our worries. Sometimes, we even discover that the worst-case scenario is survivable, even not as bad as we thought it would be. At the same time, please take care of yourself. If you start to feel overwhelmed by anxiety, fear, or another emotion, take a step back and try a different prompt for now. - Imagine this worst-case scenario came true; what would you do and how would you respond if this came to pass?
What are three constructive things you could do in that situation? - What are the positives on the other side of this uncertainty?
What is the silver lining to this situation (however small it might feel)? What good or exciting things might come out of this uncertainty? What benefits might you experience from navigating this and coming out the other side? - Where might you be trying to control the uncontrollable?
What about this situation is not ultimately up to you? - Make a list of things in your life you can control (anything that comes to mind, not necessarily related to this situation). How can you devote more time and energy to these things?
- What advice do you think the 80-year-old version of yourself would have for the you of today? Assuming they have navigated this uncertainty, what perspective do you think they would share from the other side?
- Where are you allowing this uncertainty to hold you back?
What are you delaying, avoiding or putting off while waiting for this to resolve? Do you need this situation to be resolved fully to do these things? - How do you think you’ll feel when your uncertainty is resolved?
When have you felt the feeling above in the past? What else in your life creates that feeling for you? - Think back to a situation of uncertainty you’ve encountered in the past. How did you deal with that situation then?
What happened? What did you learn from it?
