Uncertainty, Stress & Unhappiness
I recently posted about how stressful it is to be dealing with a sick dog who has a decidely uncertain prognosis.
I’ve seen the same kind of stress in people diagnosed with cancer. Having a life threatening illness with an uncertain outcome is amazingly stressful…more stressful than facing a certain death.
It sounds odd to think that death can be a relief and yet I’ve observed that relief in many of the hospice patients I’ve worked with. It’s just easier to prepare for a certain outcome than it is to anticipate an array of possible outcomes.
In a recent ‘New York Times’ article, Daniel Gilbert writes about the uncertainty we’re all experiencing around money as our economy and personal finances seem to be spiraling out of control.
He maintains it’s dealing with the uncertainty of the financial crisis rather than the crisis itself that has Americans reporting increased levels of unhappiness and depression.
He has some interesting research to back it up.
Read more of What You Don’t Know Makes You Nervous
Posted on May 23rd, 2009 by Stress Reducer