Even though change is guaranteed in life, many of us tend to fight against it, as if it were possible for things to stay the same forever. It’s within this thinking that the biggest challenge hides, not necessarily in the change itself. Here are some tips to deal with change, in a positive way.
Rip the bandaid off
Fearful thinking is one of the biggest obstacles in dealing with change, especially if you allow yourself to ponder a decision for a prolonged time. Providing you have a choice as to when you make an inevitable change, do it quickly. A new situation is often far less stressful than your thoughts will have you believe!
If you’re dealing with sudden change, admitting that it makes you feel vulnerable and seeking help immediately is a proactive way of dealing with it. The moral of the story here, is to acknowledge change from the very beginning, in the present moment, rather than obsess about ‘what-ifs’.
In the midst of change, keep up routine for a sense of normalcy.
Keep up your routine regardless
Even when life throws you into a spin, there are things you can do to create a sense of normalcy and calm.
Even when life throws you into a spin, there are things you can do to create a sense of normalcy and calm. Rather than give into stress, drink too much wine or binge on reality TV to escape, continue doing what you usually do, as much as possible.
For example, if you’ve moved to a new city, keep your rituals the same to give your mind a rest from contemplating change. If you normally get up at 7:00 am, make a cup of tea and go for a 60 minute walk, don’t delay in doing so even if you’re surrounded by boxes. They’ll wait until later and, in the meantime, you’ll remind your brain that things are still the same in many ways and that everything’s ok.
Deliberately encourage thoughts that create anticipation for what comes next.
Encourage a feeling of anticipation
Initially, many changes don’t appear to have a silver lining, so it’s easy to plunge into negativity. An example of this is being made redundant from a job, whereby there’s nothing you could have done to prevent it. A reaction to this is usually, “why me?” This reaction leads to a victim mentality and a thought process focused on the act, rather than solutions.
While it’s healthy to let emotions and feelings surface at first, allow yourself to also feel anticipation for what’s next, by deliberately thinking of the positives. For example, could you invest part of a payout and generate income in a more profitable way? Have you always wanted to embark on a different career anyway? That way, you’ll very quickly see that a change that seemed entirely negative at first, might just turn out to be a wonderful opportunity.