The Secret to Surviving Uncertainty (like Waiting for A Level Results) Without Losing Your Mind

What exam results, job offers and life changes have in common and how can we navigate them.

We’ve all had that moment and many adolescents and their parents are sitting in it right now in the UK (and elsewhere, including us in Spain) waiting for A Level or GCSE results (16-18 year olds). The exam is over. The interview is done. The application is sent. Now, you wait.

And in that waiting, your brain can become a 24/7 disaster film director – imagining every possible outcome (usually the worst ones first).

Why We Struggle with Uncertainty

Uncertainty is uncomfortable because it removes the one thing most of us lean on for a sense of safety: control. We can’t fast-forward to the result, so we try to fill the space – overthinking, scrolling endlessly, making elaborate “what if” plans, or replaying past actions in forensic detail.

The irony? None of this gives us certainty. It just amplifies the discomfort.

The Hidden Value of the In-Between

That space between what was and what’s next isn’t empty – it’s fertile. If we allow it, uncertainty can teach us some of the most valuable skills we’ll ever have.

1. Clarity Emerges in the Quiet When we stop scrambling for answers, we give space for insight to rise. This might be recognising what we truly value, or finally hearing the part of us that’s been quietly saying, “This isn’t what I want.”

2. Patience Is a Professional Superpower In a world that rewards speed, the ability to pause and stay grounded sets you apart. Decisions made from a place of calm tend to be more aligned – and more effective – than those made in panic mode. Meeting wherever we are with a bucket load of compassion (one of the most underrated, but powerful transformational powers).

3. Discomfort Signals Growth That tightness in your chest? It often means you’re on the edge of something meaningful. Growth rarely happens in certainty – it happens in the stretch. If we allow ourselves to explore with that curiosity and compassion too.

Three Ways to Navigate the Wait

You can’t always speed up the outcome, but you can shift how you experience it:

• Name what’s happening. Replace “I can´t deal with this” or “I’m terrible at waiting” with “I’m in a period of uncertainty and (if we can!) that’s okay.”
  
• Anchor in the present. When your mind races to “what if,” gently bring it back to what you know for sure today.
  
• Ask a better question. Swap the fear and worry thoughts and questions for “What is this moment inviting me to notice?” “What do I most need right now?” Listen to what comes up and take note and most importantly give yourself what you most need (usually kindness and compassion, not fear/escapism!)

Making Friends with the Pause

No one loves uncertainty. But if we resist the urge to fill every gap with action or worry, we might discover something surprising: resilience, self-trust, and a deeper understanding of what we truly want.

Whether you’re waiting for results, a job offer, or a life-changing decision, remember this is still part of the process. Sometimes, the real transformation happens before the answer arrives.

So if you and/or your young people are caught in the in-between, experiment with this:

Sit with it. Listen to it. Give yourself compassion. See what bubbles up in you.

Without having to ´do´ anything.

Good luck!

I would love to hear from you what you are navigating right now, what works for you or you would like some support with, please comment below or feel free to email me – hello@emmathornelees.com

With love,

Emma

Watch on YouTube:

A quick practice/tool to stop the spiral and develop some skills for this time and for life:

To read this post on LinkedIn.