March 17, 2022|Mental Health
You’re overwhelmed and feeling stuck. You know the ebbs and flows of life are inevitable, but lately they’ve been coming at you faster than ever, and you can’t seem to catch a break. You find yourself craving comfort and stability. You know you should be pushing forward, but the thought of having to cope with the unknown sends you into a stress spiral.
The entire situation has left you wondering how to embrace change. Maybe you envy other people in your life who seem to go with the flow, navigating life with a knee-jerk sense of confidence. Maybe you’re unhappy with the lack of momentum in your life. Or maybe you simply want to overcome a fear of uncertainty.
Whatever your goal is, you know the secret to achieving it is embracing change. You just aren’t quite sure how to do it.
Well, my friend— you’ve come to the right place.
Whether you are…
- Struggling to adjust to life post-pandemic
- Worried about the future state of global politics
- Experiencing a major personal life event (divorce, retirement, new parenthood, etc)
- Concerned about how your employees will react to a new organizational structure
- Feeling trapped by the monotony of life
Today’s blog will provide you with the coping skills and actionable steps required to break free from fear and enjoy a new lease on life.
How to Embrace Change: The Key to Getting Started
When it comes to embracing change, there’s one essential step that comes before all others. Without it, the rest of the process likely won’t lead to your desired outcome.
So, what’s the key?
It’s shifting your mindset.
More often than not, it isn’t change itself that scares us— it’s the way we think about change. We tell ourselves negative stories about potential outcomes before we’ve even tried making an adjustment, perpetuating our own fears and backing ourselves into a psychological corner.
Change = Growth
Without change, we can not grow. Try to remember this when you find yourself in times of uncertainty. Change isn’t a punishment or an unfortunate circumstance. It’s an opportunity to learn something new, build resilience, and make progress you otherwise wouldn’t be able to make.
How to Embrace Change in Life
When we encounter unpredictable circumstances in our personal lives, it can be tempting to resist them, but this only delays the outcome. Plus, it doesn’t help us to develop healthier coping mechanisms.
Here are a few steps you can take to deal with change differently:
1. Pay Attention to Your Thought Patterns
Before you can change the way you think about change, you must first be aware of your current thoughts and feelings surrounding it. Try keeping notes on your smartphone or jotting down your inner dialog when you find yourself stressing about change. What are you telling yourself? Are you assuming the worst before even getting started? Are you minimizing potentially positive outcomes and magnifying what could go wrong? These are all things you’ll want to note.
2. Determine What You Can Control (And What You Can’t)
For those who get anxious about the unknown, this is a critical aspect of learning how to deal with change. Identifying the things that are within your control in a given situation is often a very empowering experience. It reminds us that we are never helpless. There are always actions we can take to improve our circumstances.
Likewise, acknowledging what is beyond our control is also freeing. It allows us to let go of thoughts or emotions that are wasting our time and energy, making way for more productive endeavors.
3. Develop an Unshakeable Sense of Self
Sometimes, the reason we struggle with change has less to do with our circumstances and more to do with being uncertain within ourselves. When we are deeply rooted in our identity and confident in our abilities, we become more resilient and therefore less likely to doubt ourselves or fear the unknown.
Identifying your beliefs, values, and personal strengths is a great way to develop your sense of self. You can also practice having a growth mindset. These activities reveal our positive attributes and restore our faith in ourselves.
How to Embrace Change in the Workplace
The process of learning how to embrace change is a little different in a professional setting. While the personal steps above will certainly benefit you in any environment, there are some additional steps you can take to better navigate change in the workplace, specifically.
Here are three ways to embrace change in the workplace:
1. Prepare for Tomorrow, Today
Fear frequently stems from a lack of preparation. You may dread a particular change because you do not feel you’ve had enough time to brace yourself for it or lay the necessary groundwork to facilitate it.
Putting plans in place ahead of time can be extremely helpful in these situations. Knowing you have the systems, strategies, and supports you’ll need to seamlessly adjust to future changes will provide you with peace of mind and ease your fears.
2. Clarify Your Vision
It’s easy to lose sight of why you are embarking on a new endeavor when you are in the midst of turmoil. Taking a moment to pause and reflect on your greater goals is an excellent way to gain clarity and reignite your sense of purpose. Change becomes less intimidating when we can visualize what we stand to gain from it.
3. Invest in the Right Tools and Resources
No matter how much you research how to embrace change, you will struggle to do so if you do not have the proper support. Investing in tools and resources that make your job easier alleviates stress and simplifies times of transformation. Whether it’s hiring a virtual assistant to manage everyday tasks while you focus on big-picture strategizing, or buying a new software program that automates time-consuming processes— it’s always worth the investment if it provides peace of mind.
Start a Meaningful Conversation About Change With Your Team
Is your company or organization experiencing significant change? Do you think your team could benefit from learning new coping strategies?
I would be happy to facilitate a conversation and provide your employees with the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to succeed. Ask about my keynote speaking services today!