7 Tips for Handling Changes
By Andre Carvajal
Edited By Stephanie Dawson
All changes are stressful by definition. Even if they are welcome any change alters the stability of an organism, meaning change produces stress. A good way to address changes is to understand and manage stress in our life. We can regulate the amount of stress we experience, and learn how to manage change.
Its important to understand that any change can produce desirable and undesirable consequences. Learning from survivors of traumatic circumstances such as fire or natural disasters, health professionals and counselors have learned that crises can be positive or negative, depending on how the person interprets the situations and the support skills at hand. When we are in crisis the consequences may be the deterioration of our ability to function effectively. We can easily become depressed or in shock, sometimes we come to a crossroad of new opportunities.
When changes are made in your personal life know and accept that these changes may not be well tolerated, pleasant, or acceptable to those around you. If you are quitting an addiction some of your friends may comment with sarcasm or disbelief. Distances can occur, often due to new habits and changes in priorities. Even positively changes can bring about people that simply cannot follow or tolerate new changes in your life.
People often want to change for the better, have more responsibilities, switch jobs, or meet someone. There are many reasons to take a dramatic life turn, however we avoid change and want to be comfortable. Acceptance of change as a positive attitude is the best tool we can use to promote positive changes.
7 recommendations in mastering the art of change:
Clarify and visualize your goals
Analyze your skills, strengths, abilities, and weaknesses
Develop an action strategy
Anticipate risks
Undergo training if needed
Design change as an opportunity for the future
Take Action
Given a particular goal or challenge a person has two options: Move towards it and make the effort to build a future, or cut off any intention of chasing the dream
In any area of personal development the aspirations of most people are directed towards progress. We imagine what is positive for us, dream about it, or go directly to efforts for getting there, but changing and unpredictable life sometimes surprises us with fear or frustration. All good changes involve a risk of transformation, the risk can be minimized by having full information and anticipating events. Seen this way, the risk becomes motivation and self-realization.
There are thoughts automatically embedded in our minds and we impose certainties or negative visions about our will, abilities, and our place in the world. Those automatic thoughts should be replaced with positive and optimistic thoughts about our ability and determination. For success get rid of these negative generalizations.
Art Of Coping (1995) by Frederica Halligan Publisher: Crossroad
