Embracing Change – Developing Resilience by Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC
“It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change, or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between we fear…it’s like being in between trapezes. It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer.There’s nothing to hold on to.” M. Ferguson
One thing is for certain, change is inevitable and it is here to stay. Our level of resilience will determine how we are able to managechange and also recover from any of life’s setbacks. There is good news! Taking the time to understand how we manage, react to and think about change will go a long way to help build resilience. By managing thoughts, behaviours and actions we can actually look forward to and embrace change.
Resilience is the ability to cope with life’s disruptions with minimal amount of upset or drama. The better equipped we are to manage the changes (good and bad) in our lives the more resilience we have.
Below I have outlined seven tips on how to build resilience:
1) Accept that change is inevitable and is part of life. – Often we cannot control the events that happen in our lives and we can learn to control how we respond to them. Often we resist change for many reasons: fear of the unknown or looking bad/incompetent or fear losing power.
2) Understanding our own response to change. By becoming conscious of our own responses to change will help give us a sense of control. Learning from past experiences and appreciating the lessons learned can build confidence in our ability to cope with whatever life brings our way. Often people resist change by criticizing new ideas, arguing or shutting down and withdrawing.
3) Be decisive and take action. Be proactive and do as much as you can to avoid problems and when they do arise, take action toward resolution instead of ignoring and hoping they will go away.
4) Look for opportunities in changing situations. Develop a “can do” attitude and have a clear vision of what you want to achieve. Having realistic can help you stay the course when unexpected happens. Stay focused on the long term goal and what is the next small step you can take, given the current circumstances.
5) Be flexible. There are often multiple points of view and options when dealing with unexpected change. Keeping an open mind and being flexible in how you will reach your goals can sometimes open doors that you might not have otherwise seen.
6) Be optimistic and focus on the outcome you want. Take a proactive approach and try new and different things. Get organized – develop structures to support you in times of change.
7) Take care of yourself. When you are healthy, relaxed and peaceful you can deal with change in a more balanced, less reactive way. Develop and foster great friendships with people and be open to solicit and accept support from others when you need it. Embrace change, it is part of life!