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14th October, 2025

How to Stay Calm When You Don’t Know What Will Happen Next

With Rachel Morris

Dr Rachel Morris

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On this episode

When we’re waiting for outcomes we can’t control (job decisions, funding applications, patient complaints), our brain goes into overdrive. Our shoulders tense, our stomach knots, and we can’t think clearly as we mentally rehearse worst-case scenarios that haven’t even happened yet.

Eliminating uncertainty is impossible, especially in today’s climate, but we can develop the ability to stay calm within it. As healthcare professionals, we’re already experts at managing uncertainty for patients. We need to apply those same skills to ourselves.

We’re used to seeing the worst things play out, so our tendency to catastrophise can amplify our suffering when dealing with uncertainty in our own lives. We end up pre-living disasters that never materialise, making the stress much worse than the situation itself. We waste precious energy worrying about outcomes that often turn out better than we feared, while missing opportunities to take constructive action in the present.

But this quick dip offers a simple ritual for whenever uncertainty makes you anxious. Remember that uncertainty isn’t the enemy; it’s simply part of life. You’ve survived every uncertain situation you’ve faced so far, and you’ll navigate this one too.

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Reasons to listen

  • To learn how uncertainty affects your brain and why healthcare professionals feel its effects more intensely
  • For practical techniques to stay grounded when facing unknown outcomes
  • To master the ability to make confident decisions even when the whole picture isn’t available

Episode highlights

00:03:05

The brain hates uncertainty

00:04:45

The three traits that make uncertainty our Kryptonite

00:09:26

The Morris rule of worrying

00:10:37

A grounding exercise to bring safety in uncertainty

00:13:08

Saying “I don’t know… yet”

00:17:07

What is the next right move?

00:18:41

How to be more certain

00:20:10

What if it goes really wrong?

00:20:33

Times are tough

00:22:52

Try this today

00:25:23

Mistakes we often make when confronting uncertainty

Episode transcript

[00:00:00] Rachel: Have you ever had a day recently where you felt really tense and wound up? Well, I’ve had several of those recently. We’ve had A level results. We’ve moved house. I had to get flight to the airport going around the M25, that was stressful. Was there gonna be a traffic jam or not? And I’m sure you know how that feels. [00:00:17] Rachel: And what about the even more difficult stuff? Waiting to hear if you’ve got a job or not. Funding applications, outcomes of patient complaints. Maybe you’ve given feedback to a colleague and you’re not…

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