#4 Manifestations of Intolerance of Uncertainty - Overcoming Worry & Anxiety

When people think about anxiety and worry, they often focus on thoughts and emotions. But one of the most powerful—and overlooked—drivers of chronic worry is intolerance of uncertainty, and it often shows up in our behavior long before we notice it mentally. Avoiding tasks, over-researching, procrastinating, asking for reassurance, or spreading yourself too thin might seem like separate issues, but they can all stem from the same psychological root: a deep discomfort with not knowing how things will turn out. These behaviors serve a purpose—they give a temporary sense of control or certainty in situations where outcomes feel unpredictable. But over time, they maintain and even intensify anxiety and excessive worry. The effort to eliminate uncertainty becomes exhausting, inefficient, and ultimately ineffective. By identifying how intolerance of uncertainty manifests in day-to-day actions, you can start shifting your approach. Patterns like not delegating, overprotecting others, avoiding commitment, or constantly second-guessing decisions can become clues. They point to an opportunity—not to control uncertainty, but to build tolerance for it. Understanding these behavioral signs is a critical step in breaking the worry cycle. Once you spot the patterns, you can begin changing your response to uncertainty in small but powerful ways—setting the stage for more lasting change in how you relate to anxiety and decision-making. For more information about excessive worry and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, see my long form video: https://tinyurl.com/y4yqthap #GAD #Worry #CBT Videos in the worry management series: Overcoming Worry 1: Defining Worry: 3 features of worry and 2 types of worry - https://tinyurl.com/y2ox4z9n Overcoming Worry 2: Understanding a model of worry and worry awareness training - https://tinyurl.com/y5awco8l Overcoming Worry & Anxiety 3: The Role of Intolerance of Uncertainty in Worry - https://tinyurl.com/y6ohak2y Overcoming Worry & Anxiety 4: Manifestations of Intolerance of Uncertainty - https://youtu.be/kxZhnoO23iM Overcoming Worry & Anxiety 5: Two Ways to Build Tolerance for Uncertainty - https://youtu.be/UL8ayC0Fe9Y Overcoming Worry & Anxiety 6: Five Myths about Worry - https://youtu.be/Ss-lybWi5wE Overcoming Worry & Anxiety 7: Challenging Worry Myths - https://youtu.be/x0c4Am9gj4I Overcoming Worry & Anxiety 8: What do you do when you hate dealing with problems? - https://youtu.be/CwnlOXtnn58 Overcoming Worry & Anxiety 9: Problem-Solving Skills to Defeat Worry - https://youtu.be/hyWDgTiVVfY Overcoming Worry & Anxiety 10: Why we worry about things that haven’t happened - https://youtu.be/n2u3jpGl81Q Overcoming Worry & Anxiety 11: The most surprising tool to help you worry less - https://youtu.be/mkYxVWlwuk0 Overcoming Worry & Anxiety 12 - A Worry Management Recipe - https://youtu.be/nr68o7eBmBQ Overcoming Worry & Anxiety 13 - Dealing with Complex Worries - https://youtu.be/rXeISzGK71Q Overcoming Worry & Anxiety 14 - Maintaining Progress and Preventing Worry Relapse - https://youtu.be/KRk9aRjr0XI For more information about Dr. Rami Nader, visit: https://tinyurl.com/y3eu5dfw For more information about Dr. Michel Dugas' work on Generalized Anxiety Disorder and an excellent workbook, visit: https://tinyurl.com/yxf78mnt DISCLAIMER: The videos provided here on this YouTube Channel are for informational use only. The video content provided is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. These videos do not establish a psychologist/client relationship. Always seek the advice of your doctor or mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this channel. Dr. Rami Nader assumes no duty to correct or update the video content nor to resolve or clarify any inconsistent information that may be a part of the video content. Reliance on any content is solely at the viewer’s risk. Dr. Rami Nader hereby disclaims any and all liability to any party for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the said video content, which is provided as is, and without warranties.