Change is a small word with a big meaning behind. Change is life impacting, scary, exiting, anxious or exhilarating depending on the personal circumstance. But do some people cope better with change than others? 

‚Build for Tomorrow’ by the editor in chief of the entrepreneur magazine Jason Feifer reflects upon change on a global scale. And indeed on a societal level, change is almost never welcome. From a psychology perspective, this is strongly related to our fear of loss. With change, we lose the old and gain something new. Because we are more familiarized with the old -the old is our friend and comfort – we struggle to see the benefits of the new. 

But how can we cope better with change?

•  Leaving out comfort zone often. The best way to relate and get experience with change is to leave our comfort zone in small steps but as often as possible. Changes can be overwhealming, but by getting used to them in a smaller, day to day setting we can strenghten our change resilience. Think starting a new hobby, join a on day course where you don’t know anyone, mix up your routine by going on a walk in the middle of your work day. 
• See change as an opportunity for personal growth. I often mourned over a plan or project that didn’t work out or a sudden imposed change of topic. This is a perfectly normal feeling to acknowledge. But when the time is right, usually for me after sleeping over it, I start to appropiate the new challenges ahead. Starting with a blank plan can lead you to a different outcome, which on the long run doesn’t necessarily have to be bad. With every change also comes new learnings and findings, new take home messages and new experiences that will take us a step ahead.
• Embrace changing by accepting the things you cannot control. Change is hard when imposed on you, but sometimes we don’t really have a choice or say. Recognizing situations that we cannot control can bring us inner peace and acceptance of the changes ahead. Then, it’s on us to cope with the new situation, not with the proces of change in itself. 

Change is scary for most of us. But accepting new situations for what they are -unfamiliar, uncomfortable, unknown – can bring us inner peace. You don’t need to have all the answers now. But with change comes progress and eventually, you willl figure it out. Trust the process and more importantly, yourself. Go deal with change

Further reading: Build for Tomorrow: An Action Plan for Embracing Change, Adapting Fast, and Future-Proofing Your Career by Jason Feifer Amazon link