How to Handle Unexpected Life Changes Without Anxiety

Life can throw sudden changes your way that leave you feeling disoriented, afraid, or completely out of control. When unexpected transitions happen, you naturally experience a surge of difficult emotions like sadness, anxiety, and frustration all at once. Major disruptions create intense stress because your mind struggles to process unpredictable events. Feeling a loss of control makes these shifts feel overwhelming long before you even know the final outcome.

Experiencing anxiety during unpredictable times is a natural biological reaction, not a character flaw or personal weakness. People have an inherent sensitivity to uncertainty that naturally triggers emotional and mental distress during chaotic events. Unpredictable situations make it harder for your brain to recognize safety cues, which makes fear feel much larger than it actually is. Recognizing this reaction as a normal psychological response helps you treat your distress as a human experience rather than evidence of failure.

You can build practical tools to navigate difficult transitions with steady calm and clear focus. Evidence shows that specific psychological practices help people handle unexpected shifts with far less distress. Daily practices like mindfulness meditation lower anxiety symptoms just as effectively as standard medications. Simple grounding techniques help reduce stress, lower sadness, and improve sleep without needing to clear up life’s uncertainties first. By using these grounding tools, you protect your inner balance and adapt to new circumstances with confidence.

Why Unexpected Change Feels So Disruptive

Sudden changes feel painful because high achievers often tie their self-worth directly to control, routines, and steady output. When your confidence depends on meeting high standards, a sudden break in your routine threatens your sense of security. Holding tight perfectionist standards naturally lowers your self-esteem when unexpected events disrupt your work. Focusing all your energy on a single role makes sudden transitions much harder, because losing that familiar structure feels like losing a piece of who you are. Combining a total loss of daily control with self-critical habits creates deep mental distress over time.

Unexpected shifts also trigger hidden grief that many people ignore. Moving through abrupt life changes requires mourning old plans, former roles, or future expectations that no longer fit your reality. People facing major health disruptions or job shifts experience real grief over lost connections, daily routines, and former identities. Sudden disruptions create a painful gap between your past life and your current situation. Learning to adapt to major life shifts means recognizing these quiet losses instead of rushing to act like everything is completely fine.

High achievers also struggle with deep internal shame when they do not adapt instantly. Fear of making mistakes and harsh self-criticism feed negative feelings during big transitions. Judging yourself harshly for struggling creates heavy emotional strain during an already difficult moment. Striving to do great work is fine, but punishing yourself for slow progress holds you back from healing. Treating yourself with patience during adjustments helps you build lasting strength and protects your inner balance.

The Physiology of Anxiety During Change

Sudden shifts do not automatically trigger a panic response, but your brain naturally sounds an alarm when an unexpected event feels threatening or hard to control. This rapid defence mechanism activates your nervous system and prepares your body to guard itself. You might experience this as a fight-or-flight reaction, where your pulse quickens and your muscles tense for action. In other moments, your body might trigger a freeze response. Freezing lowers your movement and slows your heart rate while you process a sudden shock, a common reaction when trait anxiety runs high.

During moments of acute stress, your body releases hormones like cortisol to mobilize your physical energy. These hormonal shifts vary widely from person to person, but they often produce very real physical sensations. You might feel rapid heart palpitations, a tight chest, shortness of breath, or sudden stomach nausea. At the same time, acute stress frequently causes mental fog. Your brain struggles with working memory, concentration, and mental flexibility because it is busy processing the disruption. These uncomfortable physical and mental reactions are standard biological responses to an unstable situation, not evidence that you are breaking down.

Calming your physical nervous system serves as a practical first step toward regaining mental focus. While soothing your physical state does not instantly solve external problems, it reduces physical strain and lowers your internal alarm. Slow, intentional breathing practices directly influence your autonomic nervous system by increasing heart rate variability. Regulated breathing reduces bodily arousal and decreases subjective feelings of panic. Easing physical tension creates a steady foundation, allowing your brain to regain cognitive flexibility and approach changing circumstances with clear, deliberate steps.

Grounding First: What to Do in the First 72 Hours of Unexpected Change

In the immediate aftermath of a sudden life shift, you need stabilization rather than deep processing. Early care frameworks prioritize practical support, immediate needs, and physical calming. You can treat the first 72 hours as a helpful practical window to steady your footing. Expecting yourself to analyze or fix an entire crisis in the first few days adds unnecessary strain to an already overloaded system. Focusing on short-term coping gives your nervous system time to settle before you make major decisions.

Start by slowing down your breath. Use a gentle pattern where you inhale for four seconds and exhale for six seconds. Slow-paced breathing lowers your heart rate, reduces blood pressure, and calms acute anxiety. Avoid taking overly deep or forceful breaths, which can increase dizziness and panic. Keeping your breath soft and steady signals safety directly to your body. This simple physical reset lowers your physiological stress response and restores usable mental capacity.

Next, anchor yourself using your immediate environment. Look around the room and notice five things you can see, four things you can hear, and the physical feel of the floor beneath your feet. Grounding practices do not magically make difficult emotions disappear. Instead, redirecting your senses pulls your mind out of fear and connects you to the present moment. Reconnecting with what is happening right now prevents your thoughts from spiraling into imaginary future threats.

Finally, separate what needs immediate action from what can wait. Pick the single most urgent problem right in front of you and address only that task. Break immediate needs into tiny, realistic steps because stress temporarily impairs complex problem-solving. Contain your focus to what is true today rather than projecting worst-case scenarios down the road. By managing only the immediate load, you protect your energy and build a stable foundation for the days ahead.

Reclaiming Mental Space When the Future Feels Unclear

Uncertainty naturally pushes your mind into overdrive as it searches for familiar patterns. When incoming information remains ambiguous, your brain tries to make sense of the void by calculating potential threats. If you have a low tolerance for the unknown, your mind naturally inflates those threat estimates, expecting negative outcomes long before anything actually happens. That cognitive reaction turns unclear situations into intense internal distress. Recognizing that your mind is simply trying to predict safety helps you step back from these heightened threat estimates.

You can break this automatic loop by creating a simple thinking pause ritual. When you feel a wave of future-focused worry, examine your thoughts rather than accepting every anxious prediction as fact. Ask yourself one simple question: what do I know right now versus what am I assuming? Writing down the concrete facts on one side and your unverified fears on the other helps untangle actual conditions from imagined worst-case scenarios. Deliberately stepping outside abstract worry loops restores cognitive flexibility and creates immediate mental space.

You can also anchor your mind by grounding yourself in reality rather than safety guarantees. Remind yourself that uncertainty is uncomfortable, but discomfort is not evidence of danger. Practicing mindfulness and mental de-centering helps you observe uncertain situations without desperately trying to control or fix them right away. Learning to tolerate the discomfort of an unknown future builds genuine psychological flexibility. By separating your immediate physical safety from emotional discomfort, you protect your usable capacity and decide from a centred, grounded place.

Allowing Grief and Complexity Without Losing Momentum

Unexpected changes often come with real, unacknowledged loss. Mourning is not limited to death. Major life shifts involving job changes, health issues, broken relationships, or lost plans naturally trigger genuine grief. Saying that something inside died during a transition is not a clinical diagnosis, but it accurately describes the heavy emotional weight of letting go of an old reality. Moving through a sudden disruption requires recognizing these quiet losses instead of forcing yourself to move past them right away.

People navigating major transitions frequently experience conflicting feelings all at once. You might feel deep sadness about what ended, while also feeling genuine relief, anger, or confusion about what comes next. Experiencing relief or gratitude does not mean your grief is fake. Human emotions are multidimensional, and your brain naturally processes competing feelings during times of upheaval. Expecting yourself to feel only one obvious emotion creates unnecessary internal friction. Validating your complex emotional state allows your internal system to adjust to new conditions without wasting energy on self-criticism.

Practicing regular self-compassion helps you process hard feelings while maintaining your forward motion. Simple check-ins give you space to name what you are feeling without judgment or pressure to fix it instantly. Writing your thoughts or acknowledge your pain reduces emotional strain and protects your mental capacity. Processing loss is a necessary part of rebuilding stability after a major shift. Treating yourself with patience during this adjustment phase preserves your core strength and supports long-term resilience.

Building Psychological Flexibility as a Long-Term Skill

Psychological flexibility means having the capacity to adapt to changing circumstances without losing your core identity. It allows you to navigate unexpected events while continuing to pursue the goals and values that matter most to you. When a major shift occurs, flexibility ensures that your behavioural response can shift without abandoning who you are at your foundation. Developing this skill keeps you grounded when external conditions become volatile.

You can practice this adaptability by holding your core values firm while keeping your outer actions flexible. Your values serve as an anchor, while the specific way you express them can adjust to fit your current situation. For example, if protecting your health or supporting your team is a core value, the exact daily routines you use to fulfill that standard might look very different during a transition. Allowing your methods to evolve while keeping your underlying commitment steady prevents unnecessary friction when your circumstances change.

Reflective prompts offer a simple way to explore your identity and maintain direction during major transitions. When facing unexpected disruptions, asking yourself what still matters to you helps separate temporary roles from your core self. Questions like what part of myself do I want to carry forward or who am I becoming through this shift encourage clear internal narrative processing. Reflecting builds long-term resilience, ensuring that your internal system grows stronger through every season of change.

What to Tell Yourself When You Don’t Have All the Answers Yet

Uncertainty often triggers an urge to over-function and solve every problem at once. When you do not have all the answers, it is easy to assume that missing information means impending failure. You can counter this internal pressure by using simple, grounding statements that restore your perspective. Reminding yourself that this moment is uncertain, but you are not alone, helps lower your anxiety. Recognizing that social support exists protects your mental well-being when external conditions feel unstable.

You also do not need to fix everything today to maintain your forward momentum. Telling yourself that you only need to take one honest step releases the burden of managing an entire unknown future. Focus on what you can influence in the present moment rather than fighting elements beyond your control. Acknowledging personal control over small, immediate actions lowers feelings of helplessness and restores active coping habits. Narrowing your focus to the single choice in front of you preserves your internal energy for the long haul.

Reflective journaling offers another practical way to ground your identity during times of shift. Asking yourself what is still true about you right now helps separate your core character from temporary roles or external disruptions. Taking a few minutes to write your stable values creates a sense of continuity when daily routines break down. This structured reflection reminds you that your capabilities remain intact even when your circumstances change. Protecting that internal baseline keeps you steady as you navigate the unknown.

Reclaiming Your Direction When Everything Shifts

Unexpected change reveals a fundamental truth about human performance: at a certain level, staying grounded stops being about effort and starts being about structure. When a sudden transition breaks your familiar routines, pushing harder or trying to force instant control only increases internal strain. True stability during uncertain moments does not come from having all the answers right away. It comes from the underlying systems that support your capacity when external conditions become chaotic.

Understanding why unpredictable shifts trigger anxiety is a powerful starting point, but lasting calm requires moving beyond initial insight. Real resilience is built through a personalized, adaptive system that protects your energy, aligns with your core values, and respects your real-world load. Rather than relying on generic advice or white-knuckling your way through the unknown, sustainable performance develops when you intentionally architect a framework tailored to your unique context. You can begin building this internal foundation by joining the free Resilient Self Growth membership. Inside, you will find a dedicated space to explore insightful articles, complete practical assessments, and access guided resources designed to help you construct a life that truly supports the leader you are becoming.

For those seeking deeper guidance in designing their personalized sustainable performance system, attending an upcoming live masterclass offers an interactive environment to map out your internal architecture with expert support. You do not have to navigate major transitions alone or sacrifice your well-being to hold everything together. Taking one small, intentional step today allows you to meet unexpected change with quiet confidence and long-term strength.

References

Akbari, M., Seydavi, M., Zamani, E., Jamshidi, S., & Freeston, M. H. (2024). Intolerance of uncertainty as a situational vulnerability factor in the context of the pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis of COVID-19-related psychological impacts. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 31(5), e3046.

Ariño-Braña, P., Zaręba, M. R., Ibáñez Montolio, M., Visser, M., & Picó-Pérez, M. (2025). Influence of the HPA axis on anxiety-related processes: An RDoC overview considering their neural correlates. Current Psychiatry Reports, 27(10), 593–611.

Armstrong, M. J., Wollney, E. N., Li, Z., Dai, Y., LaBarre, B., Wang, T., Sovich, K., Jury, H. F., Galvin, J. E., Henriquez, A. M., Maixner, S. M., Paulson, H. L., Fields, J. A., Lunde, A., Boeve, B. F., Manning, C., Taylor, A. S., & Baker, Z. G. (2025). Caregiver experiences after the death of a person with dementia with Lewy bodies: A mixed-methods analysis. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 107(3), 1097–1113.

Arslan, G., & Uzun, K. (2026). Learned helplessness and meaning in life in emerging adults: The serial mediating role of free will and agency. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 67(1), 100–114.

Bentley, T. G. K., D’Andrea-Penna, G., Rakic, M., Arce, N., LaFaille, M., Berman, R., Cooley, K., & Sprimont, P. (2023). Breathing practices for stress and anxiety reduction: Conceptual framework of implementation guidelines based on a systematic review of the published literature. Brain Sciences, 13(12), 1612.

Bolzenkötter, T., Bürkner, P.-C., Zetsche, U., & Schulze, L. (2024). Assessing the immediate effects of detached mindfulness on repetitive negative thinking and affect in daily life: A randomized controlled trial. Mindfulness, 15, 1136–1148.

Breen, L. J., Zammit, T., Payne, N. C., Lobo, R., Black, A., & Egan, S. J. (2025). A world that recognises, validates, and supports young people’s grief: A co-designed study. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 36(4), e70083.

Brymer, M., Jacobs, A., Layne, C., Pynoos, R., Ruzek, J., Steinberg, A., Vernberg, E., & Watson, P. (2006). Psychological first aid: Field operations guide (2nd ed.). National Child Traumatic Stress Network & National Center for PTSD.

Callaghan, T., Greene, D., Shafran, R., Lunn, J., & Egan, S. J. (2024). The relationships between perfectionism and symptoms of depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 53(2), 121–132.

Çarıkçı-Özgül, D. N., & Işık, Ü. (2024). Exploring adult attachment and anxiety: The role of intolerance of uncertainty and social support. Current Psychology, 43, 18612–18620.

Castelló, I., Barberá-Tomás, D., & Vaara, E. (2023). Moving on: Narrative identity reconstruction after entrepreneurial failure. Journal of Business Venturing, 38(4), 106302

Debrot, A., Efinger, L., Kheyar, M., Pomini, V., & Berthoud, L. (2024). A French-language web-based intervention targeting prolonged grief symptoms in people who are bereaved and separated: Randomized controlled trial. JMIR Formative Research, 8, e57294.

Den Boer, L., De Moor, E. L., & Reitz, A. K. (2026). Shaping who we are: Linking narratives to identity processes during the university-to-work transition. European Journal of Personality, 40(1), 111–125.

Ding, D., & Zheng, M. (2022). Associations between six core processes of psychological flexibility and functioning for chronic pain patients: A three-level meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 893150.

Doorley, J. D., Goodman, F. R., Kelso, K. C., & Kashdan, T. B. (2020). Psychological flexibility: What we know, what we do not know, and what we think we know. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 14(12), e12566.

Dunkley, D. M., Starrs, C. J., Gouveia, L., & Moroz, M. (2020). Self-critical perfectionism and lower daily perceived control predict depressive and anxious symptoms over four years. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 67(6), 736–746.

Fernández-Cox, C. E., Chirino-Ortiz, M. F., Lara, T., Schulmeyer, M. K., & Fernández-Alcántara, M. (2025). Factors associated with perinatal bereavement among mothers in Bolivia: A qualitative study. Healthcare, 13(6), 615.

Ge, H., Li, A., Huang, R., Gan, C., Jia, Y., Chai, J., Liu, L., Zheng, X., Xu, J., Zhang, M., & Cheng, H. (2025). Efficacy of behavioral activation in reducing fear of cancer recurrence in non-small cell lung cancer patients: A randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Cancer Research, 15(4), 1806–1819.

Hashemi, M. M., Zhang, W., Kaldewaij, R., Koch, S. B. J., Smit, A., Figner, B., Jonker, R., Klumpers, F., & Roelofs, K. (2021). Human defensive freezing: Associations with hair cortisol and trait anxiety. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 133, 105417.

Ho, Y.-F., Tseng, M.-C., & Hsu, P.-T. (2025). The impact of life story groups on enhancing attitudes toward aging in older adults: A mixed methods study. BMC Geriatrics, 25, 389.

Hu, H., Mete, M., Rustgi, N. K., Washington, C. I., Sanghavi, K., Dutton, M. A., Simon, N. M., Baker, A. W., Bui, E., & Hoge, E. A. (2024). Mindfulness meditation vs escitalopram for treatment of anxiety disorders: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 7(10), e2438453.

Iwabe, T., Miyakawa, A., Kodama, S., & Yoshida, S. (2025). Slow-paced breathing reduces anxiety and enhances midfrontal alpha asymmetry, buffering responses to aversive visual stimuli. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 19, 1605862.

Jahani, L., Abolhassani, S., Babaee, S., & Omranifard, V. (2022). Effects of a compassion-based program on the grief experienced by caregivers of people suffering from dementia: A randomized controlled clinical trial. BMC Nursing, 21(1), 198.

Kashdan, T. B., Disabato, D. J., Goodman, F. R., Doorley, J. D., & McKnight, P. E. (2020). Understanding psychological flexibility: A multimethod exploration of pursuing valued goals despite the presence of distress. Psychological Assessment, 32(9), 829–850.

Keller, G. B., & Sterzer, P. (2024). Predictive processing: A circuit approach to psychosis. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 47(1), 85–101.

Khossousi, V., Greene, D., Shafran, R., Callaghan, T., Dickinson, S., & Egan, S. J. (2024). The relationship between perfectionism and self-esteem in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 52(6), 646–665.

Kornhuber, J., Lewczuk, P., Siegmann, E.-M., Schneider, S., Eversmann, L., Kind, L., & Luttenberger, K. (2026). WISE-Therapy (What’s Important: Schedule and Engage) and bouldering psychotherapy for depression: A randomized clinical trial. BMC Medicine, 24(1), 332.

Låftman, S. B., Lundin, A., & Östberg, V. (2024). Perceived social support and symptoms of depression and anxiety in emerging adulthood: A Swedish prospective cohort study. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 53(8), 854–862.

Linford, L. B., & Warren, J. S. (2025). Online self-compassion training vs. expressive writing: A randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 20(2), 328–343.

Lu, Y., Li, Y., Huang, Y., Zhang, X., Wang, J., Wu, L., & Cao, F. (2023). Effects and mechanisms of a web- and mobile-based acceptance and commitment therapy intervention for anxiety and depression symptoms in nurses: Fully decentralized randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e51549.

Luo, Q., Li, X., Zhao, J., Jiang, Q., & Wei, D. (2025). The effect of slow breathing in regulating anxiety. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 8417.

McAlearney, A. S., Eiterman, L. P., Mayers, E., Eramo, J. L., & MacEwan, S. R. (2024). A journey through grief: Experiences of loss among patients with Long COVID. Journal of Patient Experience, 11, 23743735241272267.

McLoughlin, E., Arnold, R., & Moore, L. J. (2024). The tendency to appraise stressful situations as more of a threat is associated with poorer health and well-being. Stress and Health, 40(3), e3358.

Morriss, J. (2025). Psychological mechanisms underpinning change in intolerance of uncertainty across anxiety-related disorders: New insights for translational research. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 173, 106138.

Morriss, J., Goh, K., Hirsch, C. R., & Dodd, H. F. (2023). Intolerance of uncertainty heightens negative emotional states and dampens positive emotional states. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1147970.

Morriss, J., Zuj, D. V., & Mertens, G. (2021). The role of intolerance of uncertainty in classical threat conditioning: Recent developments and directions for future research. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 166, 116–126.

Nackley, B., & Friedman, B. H. (2021). Only time will tell: Acute stress response patterns with time series analysis. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 166, 32–44.

Näsling, J., Åström, E., Jacobsson, L., & Ljungberg, J. K. (2024). Effect of psychotherapy on intolerance of uncertainty: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 31(4), e3026.

Piotrowski, K., Bojanowska, A., Nowicka, A. K., & Janasek, B. (2023). Perfectionism and community-identity integration: The mediating role of shame, guilt and self-esteem. Current Psychology, 42, 1308–1316.

Ratcliffe, M., & Richardson, L. (2023). Grief over non-death losses: A phenomenological perspective. Passion: Journal of the European Philosophical Society for the Study of Emotions, 1(1), 50–67.

Roberts, K., Kuhlman, K., Byrd, M., & Hunt, T. (2023). The influence of athletic identity on mental health symptoms during retirement from sport. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 32(5), 630–634.

Rossi, R., Jannini, T. B., Socci, V., Pacitti, F., & Di Lorenzo, G. (2021). Stressful life events and resilience during the COVID-19 lockdown measures in Italy: Association with mental health outcomes and age. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 635832.

Sahib, A., Chen, J., Cárdenas, D., & Calear, A. L. (2023). Intolerance of uncertainty and emotion regulation: A meta-analytic and systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 101, 102270.

Shao, R., Man, I. S. C., & Lee, T. M. C. (2024). The effect of slow-paced breathing on cardiovascular and emotion functions: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Mindfulness, 15(1), 1–18.

Sharbanee, J. M., & Greenberg, L. S. (2023). Emotion-focused therapy for grief and bereavement. Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 22(1), 1–22.

Shields, G. S., Sazma, M. A., & Yonelinas, A. P. (2016). The effects of acute stress on core executive functions: A meta-analysis and comparison with cortisol. Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews, 68, 651–668.

Spence, N. J., Russell, D., Bouldin, E. D., Tumminello, C. M., & Schwartz, T. (2023). Getting back to normal? Identity and role disruptions among adults with Long COVID. Sociology of Health & Illness, 45(4), 914–934.

Stenzel, K. L., Keller, J., Kirchner, L., Rief, W., & Berg, M. (2025). Efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy in treating repetitive negative thinking, rumination, and worry: A transdiagnostic meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 55, e31.

Stevens, E. S., Jendrusina, A. A., Legrand, A. C., Nahin, E. R., Goldwin Kaufman, M., Borkovec, T. D., & Behar, E. (2018). The effects of worry and relaxation on flexibility during cognitive restructuring. Behavior Modification, 42(6), 838–863.

Szuhany, K. L., & Simon, N. M. (2022). Anxiety disorders: A review. JAMA, 328(24), 2431–2445.

Tafet, G. E., & Ortiz Alonso, T. (2025). Learned helplessness and learned controllability: From neurobiology to cognitive, emotional and behavioral neurosciences. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, 1600165.

Taylor, S. B., Kennedy, L. A., Lee, C. E., & Waller, E. K. (2022). Common humanity in the classroom: Increasing self-compassion and coping self-efficacy through a mindfulness-based intervention. Journal of American College Health, 70(1), 142–149.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. (2026). Acute stress disorder.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. (2026). Early interventions following disaster events.

Voorheis, P., Silver, M., & Consonni, J. (2023). Adaptation to life after sport for retired athletes: A scoping review of existing reviews and programs. PLOS ONE, 18(9), e0291683.

Wang, M., Zhang, H., Zhang, X., Zhao, Q., Chen, J., Hu, C., Feng, R., Liu, D., Fu, P., Zhang, C., Cao, J., Yue, J., Yu, H., Yang, H., Liu, B., Xiong, W., Tong, H., Zhu, S., & Yang, Y. (2023). Effects of a online brief modified mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy for anxiety among Chinese adults: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 161, 27–33.

Wang, M.-M., Liu, Q., Zhu, Z., Guo, X., Hu, X., & Cheng, L. (2024). Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 21(4), 454–466.

Wang, Z. (2025). Reflective journal writing and interpreting anxiety: Insights from a longitudinal study. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1671239.

Wilson, E. J., Abbott, M. J., & Norton, A. R. (2023). The impact of psychological treatment on intolerance of uncertainty in generalized anxiety disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 97, 102729.

Wilson, E. J., Abbott, M. J., Norton, A. R., Berle, D., & Rapee, R. M. (2026). Exploring pathways from intolerance of uncertainty to worry in adults with generalised anxiety disorder. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 55(1), 96–116.

World Health Organization. (2020). Doing what matters in times of stress: An illustrated guide. World Health Organization.

Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., & Gemignani, A. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353.

Zhou, X., Gu, Y., Wang, J., Huang, L., & Lei, Y. (2023). Intolerance of uncertainty enhances generalisation of cued conditioned threat: An event-related potential study. Biological Psychology, 181, 108601.