How to Handle Uncertainty at Work When You Cannot See What Is Next
Reorganizations, new leadership, a shaky market, a job that might change. Uncertainty is uncomfortable because it takes away the feeling of control. You can still choose how you carry it.
To handle uncertainty at work, separate what you know from what you fear, focus your energy on what you can control, ask for information rather than filling silence with worst cases, keep steady routines that ground you, prepare a simple plan B so the unknown feels less threatening, and lean on people you trust. Real security does not come from knowing what will happen. It comes from trusting yourself to handle what does.
In my book I wrote that real security is not knowing what will happen. It is trusting yourself to handle what does. I have needed that reminder more than once: leaving a stable job for a startup, leading through an acquisition, and working through COVID in healthcare staffing, when plans could be outdated a week after they were made.
Uncertainty at work is common, and it wears on people. The American Psychological Association’s 2026 Work in America survey found that 48% of U.S. workers typically feel tense or stressed during the workday. Not knowing what is coming next is a big part of that.
Separate what you know from what you fear
Uncertainty invites the mind to fill gaps with worst cases. Another line from my book: fear convinces us to treat possibilities like certainties. Write down two lists: what you actually know, and what you are afraid might happen. Seeing them side by side often shrinks the fear. See Is It a Fact or a Feeling?
Six ways to handle uncertainty
- Separate facts from fears. Two lists, side by side.
- Focus on what you control. Your work, your attitude, your next step.
- Ask for information. Do not let silence fill itself.
- Keep your routines. Small anchors steady the rest of the day.
- Make a simple plan B. Options make the unknown less threatening.
- Lean on people you trust. Uncertainty is easier shared.
Focus on what you can control
You may not control the reorganization, the market or a decision being made above you. You can control the quality of your work, how you treat people, what you learn and your next step. Putting your energy there turns anxiety into something useful.
Ask for information
People can handle bad news far better than they can handle no news. If you are unsure what a change means for you, ask your manager directly and respectfully: what do we know, what do we not know yet and when will we hear more? Even partial answers usually help. See People Can Handle Bad News. They Struggle With No News.
Keep routines and make a plan B
Routines are steadying when everything else feels unsettled: exercise, a morning habit, regular time with family. A simple plan B, such as updating your résumé, reconnecting with a few contacts or learning a useful skill, is not pessimism. It is the kind of preparation that lets you face uncertainty from a stronger place.
Trust yourself
Think back to other hard seasons you got through. You handled more than you expected then, and you will again. Every challenge builds resilience, confidence and capacity you did not know you had.
Facing the unknown is part of my signature keynote, You Are Capable of More. See also How to Handle Fear of Change and How to Make a Hard Decision at Work.
Uncertainty takes away the feeling of control, but not your choices. Separate facts from fears, focus on what you can control, ask for information, keep grounding routines, make a simple plan B and lean on people you trust. Security comes from trusting yourself to handle what happens.
Frequently asked questions
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You Are Capable of More
A No-Excuses Guide to Becoming Your Best Self. The bestselling book behind Chris’s keynotes and the 2026 Paris Book Festival winner in the How-To category. Many teams hand a copy to every seller at their kickoff.
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Chris Sund speaks on this in You Are Capable of More, for conferences, leadership teams and company meetings.
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