How to cope with stress from a big change?

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” ― Leo Tolstoy

Change or die was a motto I lived by during Grad school days and ever since. Any change was not easy for me but the discipline I chose enforced me to change my ways for the better. It is a fact that we cannot keep doing what we have always been doing. We live in such a world that if we do not embrace change, in our personal and professional lives, we may not succeed. No wonder, change management is a huge part of businesses these days. Change management is an organized and planned approach to support people through change. Change Management can happen at an individual level, on a project, and on an organizational level. It can be a necessity because of factors that we cannot control or can simply be a preparatory step towards development. I would like to focus on change at an individual level here.

Broadly speaking, change requires three steps: Preparing for change, managing the change, and reinforcing the change.

From my own experience, reinforcing change was the hardest. Here are a few things I have discovered in coping with an environmental change:

Shock: Surprise and shock are inevitable when trying to enforce a change, whether it is a sudden need of the time such as the pandemic COVID-19, we are experiencing now or a preventive step taken deliberately towards achieving success. Uncertainty is a huge cause of confusion and makes decision-making difficult. Therefore, it is important to step back and fully understand the situation before making any important decisions.

Emotional surge: It is not uncommon for people to have an emotional surge or an outpour during change. The change caused by the pandemic has created a huge emotional outpour among individuals. It is important to be self- aware of these emotions, what causes it, when and where it arises from, so we can manage it better. It is also important to find an outlet to vent your emotions because suppressing your emotions may do more harm than good.

Embracing change: This is the stage where we begin to embrace change. We show reluctance and hesitation but understand that it is needed and take a step closer to the future. Our minds may have mixed emotions on the new acceptance of this change. This stage may be a slow process for many of us.

Acceptance to the new life: This is the final stage where we fully come to terms with the new life. But we also try to bring as much as our past into this life and look for manifestations where we can sprinkle our previous habits into the new life.  

If you feel you would like to discuss issues you have had embracing a change, and is worried about the effects and aftermath of it, and would like to discuss your personal or professional life through coaching sessions, I am happy to provide an intro session to discuss your needs. You can schedule an appointment through my website anytime. 

Hamna Siddique is a career and leadership coach focusing on confidence and personal development.

Email: ha***********@go********.llc. https://hamnasiddique.com/| ©2020 Goldbridge Coaching LLC |All Rights Reserved|

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