In my last blog, I wrote about The Version of You That Does Not Exist Yet and the uncertainty that often accompanies periods of growth and transformation.
Typically, we like certainty. We like to have plans, goals, and clarity. Yet some of the most important seasons of growth ask something different of us. They ask us to stay present when we do not yet have all the answers.
The challenge is that uncertainty can feel uncomfortable for the nervous system. When we don’t know what’s next, it is natural to look for ways to restore certainty as quickly as possible. We may rush to make decisions, retreat to familiar patterns, or convince ourselves that we should already know.
That rush for certainty creates a missed opportunity. As we explored last time, the unknowing is a great space of possibility, fertile ground from within which new possibilities can emerge, but only if we give them the time and space to do so.
✨ Recently, I came across a somatic practice called titration that offers a gentle approach for building up your tolerance for uncertainty.
Rather than forcing ourselves to sit in uncertainty for long periods, we gradually build our capacity to be with it.
The practice is surprisingly simple.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Begin by bringing your attention to something that helps you feel grounded, steady, or safe.
It might be:
- The feeling of your feet on the floor
- Your favourite chair or blanket
- A photograph of someone you love
- A memory that brings a sense of warmth
- A tree outside your window
- The rhythm of your breath
Allow yourself to spend a few moments fully noticing this experience. Notice what happens in your body as you do. You may feel your shoulders soften, your breathing deepen, or a sense of settling emerge.
Then, gently bring your attention to the future that is calling you forward, not yet fully known but alive with possibility. The next chapter that is beginning to emerge. The dream, opportunity, or change that is not yet fully visible.
Notice what happens.
You may feel excitement or possibility.
You may also notice uncertainty, vulnerability, tension, or a sense of wobble.
If you do, gently return your attention to the thing that helps you feel grounded.
Come back to your breath.
Come back to your body.
Come back to what feels steady.
When you feel settled again, turn once more toward the emerging future and its associated discomfort. Allow yourself to feel those feelings for a little while.
Then return to safety.
And then back again.
Keep moving between the two for a few more rounds.
In this way, we gradually teach the nervous system that it is possible to remain present with uncertainty without becoming overwhelmed by it.
Over time, we begin to develop a greater capacity for the uncertainty that initially accompanies growth, possibility, and change. We become less dependent on immediate answers and more comfortable allowing life to reveal itself one step at a time.
Photo by Yoksel 🌿 Zok on Unsplash