As life continues during the coronavirus pandemic, one thing is becoming clearer: There is so much we still do not know. When will the pandemic end? When will a vaccine become available? When can we resume daily life ? Will things ever go back to normal? Will life be completely changed for good?

Scientists and health officials offer some predictions , but almost nothing about this pandemic is certain, except that it could go on for a long while. For many people, especially those who already struggle with anxiety , this uncertainty has been incredibly challenging especially since the unknowns are literally a matter of life and death.

HuffPost spoke to mental health experts and people who struggle with anxiety to understand why uncertainty is so difficult to navigate in general, and how to cope.

First of all, why does uncertainty feel so damn terrible?

The human body is hard-wired to respond to uncertainty. Jessica Linick, a New York City-based licensed clinical psychologist, tells HuffPost that our brains are designed to evaluate threat and risk and uncertainty can feel incredibly risky.

The brain often looks for patterns, Linick explained, adding that this mechanism is good when circumstances are predictable and make sense. But in times of uncertainty and unpredictability, our nervous systems are on high alert; theyre always looking for that risk. And when someones nervous system is activated that way, it produces a flight or fight response.

Lauren Hallion , an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, agreed, noting that the human brain has evolved over time to pay attention to sudden changes in the environment that could signal a threat.

In prehistoric times, those threats were sometimes predators, but they were sometimes diseases and viruses like the one were experiencing now, Hallion said. In other words, predictable environments are usually safe, while unpredictable environments were more likely to include potential dangers.