Part 5: For coping with change, uncertainty, and the anxiety that comes with it

Part 5 of How to Deal with Uncertainty is finally here!

The good news is that just as we’re wired to worry about the unknown, we’re also wired to embrace it. I see our response to the unknown as lying on a continuum between anxiety and excitement. Consider what it feels like when you try out a new restaurant or plan a vacation to a destination you’ve never been to. We don’t call that feeling uncertainty; we call it novelty.

The difference in how we view the unknown is our mindset. When we’re in our playful mindset, we’re eager to explore. When we’re led by our negativity bias, we’re anxious and trying to avoid loss.

What determines whether you approach a situation through the lens of your negativity bias or with a playful mindset is how safe you feel. Polyvagal theory, conceived by Dr. Stephen Porges, posits that our nervous system is constantly patrolling the environment for safety or danger. It’s always on and listening, like an Amazon Alexa. Porges calls this neuroception. Because neuroception operates on an unconscious level, we could be in fight or flight without even realizing it.

When our systems are clenched in a stress response, our experience of the world is also contracted. Instead of seeing the unknown as a chance for positive possibilities, we see it as a threat to defend against. Although we might not be able to prevent the stress response, we can consciously nudge ourselves away from it, toward safety. That’s the opportunity for us and the skill we get to build. The goal of mobilizing our playful mindset is to expand our perspective and thereby our possibilities.

Are you looking to see more possibilities? Are you ready to reframe stuckness, loss, boredom, fear or anxiety into something that can serve you? Are you ready to break free from the patterns that pull you out of the present --- and the stories that insist you're not good enough?

Let's talk. I have few spots left for coaching this Fall and also am booking speaking events for 2026-27.

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P.S. Check out my book, The Work Happiness Method, for a step-by-step guide on how to activate your Play mindset. I hope you enjoyed this series.

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