When to Wait in Uncertain Situations

Uncertainty can be unbearable. We want to know what is going to happen and it seems to be human nature to try to force some sort of change rather than sitting in limbo or trying to remain calm while everything around us is uncertain. Most people would rather cope with something negative than to continue waiting during an uncertain situation. The truth is, however, that there are times for action and reaction and there are other times when we are meant to face uncertainty with patience and waiting. There are times when the best response is no response.

Strangely enough, sometimes getting busy and trying to force resolution in an uncertain situation just makes things worse. At the very least, it simply doesn't resolve things or move them along any further. Of course there are those times when we must face uncertainty with decisive action but there are other times when we really have to admit we have no control and wait and see what happens.

Ask yourself if acting or reacting will make things better or if it will just make you feel like you are doing something. For example, if you are having medical issues and have had the tests done, there is likely nothing to do but to wait for the results. Waiting, of course, does not mean that you do nothing but focus on your worries and concerns. You can wait for an outcome in an uncertain situation and still take care of other business and do other things to distract yourself. Waiting time does not have to be unproductive time; in fact, it is a perfect time to focus on other business and other things that you CAN control.

It is important to differentiate waiting from procrastination. If there are things that you could be doing that would help the situation, then it may be that this is the best approach. Choosing NOT to do these things may very well be procrastination. If you can imagine the outcome will resolve itself better without your interference, consider learning how to wait and developing the patience to cope during uncertain situations.