5 Science-Backed Tools to Stay Calm Through Uncertainty

How to Stay Calm in Times of Uncertainty

Let's be real: Uncertainty is everywhere lately. Whether it's geopolitical instability or personal unknowns, we're constantly reminded that the future is unclear. Our brains are wired to seek stability, and unpredictability tends to register as stress in the nervous system.

Here's the good news: While we can't always control external chaos, we can learn how to regulate our internal response.

Stress can be motivating in small doses—pushing us toward growth or needed change. But when stress becomes chronic, it can erode our mental and physical health. For professionals and highly driven adults who need to be constantly "on," this can quickly lead to burnout, anxiety, or even illness.

What can we do when we are in a state of uncertainty that doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon (like we are right now)? We focus on recovery—and regulate our nervous system with intention.

Here are 5 science-backed tools to stay grounded and build emotional resilience during uncertain times. 

1. Stop and Breathe

This might sound overly simple, but paced breathing is one of the fastest ways to shift out of fight-or-flight and back into a calm state. Longer exhales activate the parasympathetic nervous system—your body's built-in calming mechanism. It's like pressing the "reset" button.

One technique to try:

Breathe in for a count of 4 and out for a count of 8. Repeat for 5 minutes.

This quickly activates the calming branch of the nervous system, helping you return to a state of ease and wellbeing. Just a few minutes a day can reduce overwhelm and increase your capacity to think clearly.

Therapist Tip: Use this technique before a big meeting or decision. It creates a calming space, allowing you to decompress and respond with clarity and confidence.

2. Label Your Emotions

You've heard it before—"If you can name it, you can tame it." Research shows that we calm our brain when we name our emotions.

By simply saying, "I feel anxious," or "I feel uncertain," you reduce activity in the amygdala (the brain's alarm system) and increase activity in the prefrontal cortex (the center for reasoning and emotion management), which helps us manage our challenging emotions, start to calm down, and think clearly. 

Therapist Tip: Keep a "Name it to Tame it" note on your desk or phone. When stress spikes, pause and label your emotions.

3. Validate Your Challenging Experience

Imagine telling a friend, "Don't feel that way." It wouldn't land well. Yet, we do that to ourselves all the time.

Self-validation acknowledges the validity of our experience and fosters emotional regulation and compassion.

Self-validation involves saying to ourselves:

"It makes sense I feel ___ given ___."

For example, "It makes sense I feel stressed about the economy—given that I'm currently navigating a lot of career uncertainty."

Self-validation leads to emotional regulation. When feelings are acknowledged—even by you—they move more easily through the body. 

4. Reframe Stress as a Challenge, Not a Threat

Stress perception shapes biology. According to UCSF researcher Elissa Epel, PhD, how we interpret stress—as a threat or a challenge—directly shapes our physiological response.

Your body gears up for defense when you view something as a threat. When you see it as a challenge, your response is more adaptive and less damaging. 

Epel uses the analogy of a lion chasing a gazelle. Both are stressed—but the lion experiences challenge stress (purposeful, goal-driven to obtain a meal), and the gazelle experiences threat stress (fight or flight, focusing on avoiding potential harm).

• The gazelle feels threatened—fear floods the body.

• The lion sees a challenge—it's game on!

You have that same choice.

When your nervous system perceives a situation as challenging, you're more likely to engage positively, adapt, and grow.

Reframing your stress from threat to challenge can even lengthen telomeres, which are linked to better health and longevity. 

Therapist Tip: Write down past challenges you've conquered. You've survived every hard day so far. Use that evidence.

5. Don't Worry Alone

Humans are wired for social connection. Our nervous systems stay more regulated (less fight or flight activation, less stress) when we connect with people we feel safe with.

Share your concerns about uncertainty with a loved one, friend, or trusted community member.

Remind yourself: You're not alone. We're wired to handle stress better together.

Conclusion: You're Wired for Resilience

Uncertainty may not be going away—but neither is your ability to adapt, heal, and thrive. By combining intentional tools with emotional insight, you're not just surviving this season—you're building strength for the next one.

You have the power to restore your calm. One breath, one truth, one connection at a time.

If you would like professional support with managing uncertainty, stress, or to learn more, please click below:

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Reference:

Epel, Elissa. The Stress Prescription: Seven Days to More Joy and Ease. Vol. 3. Penguin, 2022.