Nowadays, it seems that many people are experiencing some sort of change such as moving to a new state, loss or creation of a job, personal issues coming to the forefront or maybe family challenges. These are all changes that happen as a result of something. The challenge is how to successfully manage the change, which often times comes quickly. Here are 10 ways to manage change.
1. Expect to be uncomfortable. It’s normal!
2. Focus on the now. That could possibly mean letting go of the past or any hope that the past could have been any different.
3. The change process takes a considerable amount of time to stabilize and to work. Be patient with yourself and others. Nevertheless, don’t get too comfortable and think things will not change again. They will…
4. Establish a clearly defined vision of the end result. This allows you to define the best path for accomplishing your results
5. Don’t panic and rush to make decisions; just go with the flow
6. Listen to your body and be good to yourself. Take deep breaths and become gratitude focused, especially when you are feeling down. Just think, it could be worse.
7. Know your stress relievers and develop new ones
8. Reflect on your past experiences of change to see how they may be helping you or holding you back. You can do this by identifying and removing any ingrained assumptions that are not benefiting you at this time, such as “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”
9. Maintain your integrity, even if it’s uncomfortable at the time. "Truth" is more important during periods of change and uncertainty than good news
10. Trust is earned by those who demonstrate consistent behavior and clearly defined values
Take time to manage your thoughts, relax your physical body and focus on the present as you transition!
Take Care….
Dr. Jessica is a Professional Development Coach. She earned her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, with a focus in Industrial Organizational Psychology, from the University of Tennessee in 1999. She has more than 15 years of experience in people and performance improvement and has worked nationally and internationally with clients from industries including government, non-profit, private, education, utilities, and financial.