When we make predictions confidently, it allows us to adapt, process emotions like sadness, accept the situation, and prepare for what’s to come. By enhancing our ability to predict and increasing our confidence, we can alleviate anxiety.

Calm mind, intuition and planning make us feel less anxious. The goal is to have better visibility of what is coming next and to bring certainty to our lives.

Stoic philosophy has a lot to teach on how to better manage our thoughts regarding uncertainty. I am quoting some passages by Seneca.

“We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality.” — Seneca

“The man who has anticipated the coming of troubles takes away their power when they arrive.” — Seneca

“The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.” — Seneca

Don’t believe in everything you think, specially thoughts that drive us to worst case scenarios assumptions. Our brains perceive ambiguity as a threat, and they try to protect us by diminishing our ability to focus on anything other than creating certainty.

“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is”

John Allen Paulos, mathematician