21/09/2026
I think most of us know how quickly our minds can run away with us when something feels uncertain.
Perhaps someone hasn't replied when we expected them to, we've made a mistake at work, noticed something unusual in our body, or we're waiting for news about something important. Before very long, we can find ourselves imagining not just what might happen, but the worst thing that could happen.
And sometimes, by the time we've got there, it doesn't feel much like a possibility anymore. It feels as though this is where things are heading.
I've been thinking about worst-case scenario thinking recently while creating a new reflection sheet on this very topic. We often tell ourselves & others, "everything will be fine." The problem is, we don't always know that everything will be fine. Sometimes difficult things do happen, and uncertainty is uncomfortable precisely because we don't know what happens next.
Perhaps something more useful is to become curious about how we got from what is actually happening now to the ending we've imagined. How much do we really know, and how much has our mind filled in along the way? What would actually have to happen for us to arrive at that feared outcome, and where might things take a completely different direction?
It isn't about replacing the worst-case scenario with the best-case scenario, or trying to convince ourselves to think positively. We cannot simply picture sunny skies and wish the rain to go away on a winters day.
It's about remembering that when we don't know what happens next, the ending hasn't been written yet.
If worst-case scenario thinking is something you recognise and you'd like some space to explore what's happening for you, you can find out more about working with me at:
https://wercurious.com/
[email protected]