Managing Your Anxiety: How To Handle Not Knowing What Happens Next
Almost everyone worries about what will happen in the future.
The prospect of not knowing if something good or bad will happen can produce a lot of fear and anxiety. However, there are a few suggested techniques you can try to help manage your fear of the unknown.
Remember that no one can predict the future with 100 percent certainty. Even if the event or occurrence you fear does end up happening, there are circumstances and factors you can’t predict which can be used to your advantage.
For instance, let’s say you miss a deadline for a project you have been working on at work, which is one of your greatest recurring fears. Suddenly, your boss comes to your office and tells you the deadline is extended and he forgot to tell you the day before. This unknown factor changes everything.
Remember that we may be 99 percent correct in predicting the future, but all it takes is that 1 percent to make a world of difference.
Learn to take it one day at a time. Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week or month, try to focus on today.
Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things, and that includes dealing with your problems. When the time comes, hopefully you will have learned the skills necessary to help you deal with your current situation.
Sometimes, we can get anxious over a task that we will have to perform in the near future. When this happens, visualize yourself doing the task in your mind.
For instance, if you have an upcoming championship volleyball game you're going to play in front of a large group of people, imagine yourself playing the game in your mind a few days before. Imagine that you’re playing in front of a large audience.
By playing the game in your mind, you will be better prepared to perform for real when the time comes. Self-visualization is a great way to reduce the fear and stress of an up coming situation and increase your self-confidence.
Remember to take a deep breath and try to find something to do to get your mind off of your anxiety and stressors. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper, watch TV, play on the computer or do an activity that will give him or her a fresh perspective on things.
This will distract you from your current worries.
A lot of times, worrying can make the problem even worse. All the worrying in the world will not change anything. All you can do is do your best each day, hope for the best and when something does happen, take it in stride.
If you still have trouble managing your anxiety about the future, try talking to a counselor or clergyman. There are definitely ways to help manage your fear; all it takes is a little bit of effort to find those answers.
Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods.” Stan’s managing fear book has become very popular with over 300 positive book reviews and counting. Please read the many book reviews of Stan’s popular book by going to Stan’s website.
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