Six Strategies To Navigate Change.
Focus on what’s real and within your control.
We all have a biological need to feel in control.
When things are in flux, it creates uncertainty. Our brains don’t like it.
Depending on how you’re wired, you might experience a sense of overwhelm in response to feeling uncertain.
What’s really happening is your brain’s trying to figure out if you’re safe, and what’s at stake.
For example, it’s natural if you:
Worry your job isn’t safe or it’ll change.
Feel a sense of unfairness.
Stress that you might lose important relationships.
Feel ‘trapped’ against your will.
Your brain is searching for what’s certain.
That’s why clarifying what is not changing, and what is within your control, is so calming.
Focus on what you can control.
Focussing on what’s within your control, and what’s certain, will help your brain focus on the opportunities of change.
It’ll also help turn down the volume on worrying, by focussing on what is immovable.
Use the following prompts to document what’s within your control, to train your brain to focus on the positives.
What is certain? What is not changing?
What is not yet clear? What have I yet to get clarity or visibility on?
What can I accept? What is the reality of the situation?
What benefit? What are the benefits of this situation, even if it is unexpected?
By mapping out the realities of the situation, you are more able to accept there may be positives. Asking yourself to map out the positives, before accepting the reality, may be too many steps for your brain. Accept, then you’ll be more likely to consider benefits.
Accept what you have lost.
One of the heartbreaking, yet important, steps of navigating change is to accept what you have lost, or are leaving behind. Making time to process and accept that it’s changing can be incredibly helpful.
By accepting what ‘is’ you may find your brain no longer tries to go back to the past, holding onto old attachments. Telling your brain the truth, can help process what is real and what’s emotionally tying you to the old ‘way’.
Try documenting what you can mentally accept, even if it’s tricky emotionally, to help yourself move through change.
Outline what you could gain.
Taking time to document what you could gain with this change is incredibly liberating.
It helps your brain start to see opportunities, not limitations, in the new world. Your brain needs time to adjust, so by nurturing those thoughts, you will discover that you produce more, by focussing your attention on what there is to gain.
Admittedly, this doesn’t happen immediately, but slowly discovering what ‘else’ is out there can be incredibly powerful.
For example, while it might be the case that a workplace change results in you seeing what other jobs are out there, you might find a useful example to update your CV, reflect on your achievements, and grow your confidence.
Schedule extra rest time.
Change is tiring. This is because your brain’s making sense of how you need to behave and interact with a new environment with the change. The old habits you used to have helped you conserve energy. The new change unsteadies that, requiring you to create new mental shortcuts in the new world.
As a result, you’ll need extra time to process, and probably more rest to counter the extra work your brain is doing to figure out this new world.
Be kind to yourself and - rest.
Create a career game plan.
The quickest way to feel in control is to make a plan.
You feel more in control when you have a plan that aligns with what you want.
Creating a career plan might sound counterintuitive, especially if you really enjoy your job.
What it’s really doing is reminding your brain you have options. When you realise you have choice and options, you are less likely to feel trapped or overwhelmed.
The result? You’re more empowered, reminded you have opportunities. As a result, you can process change more quickly. The impact is that your brain starts seeing more opportunities (vs what there is to lose), meaning you can enjoy the change, quicker, having processed it at a faster rate.
Download this workbook to start mapping out your career steps.
Change your perspective.
We lose hope when we ruminate (go in circles with an unhelpful thought).
What’s more useful is changing your scene, or perspective. This reminds your brain that your change is just one part of a bigger picture.
Visiting the beach, going to the top of a building to look at the view, or even just going through a travel magazine, or visiting a friends for dinner, can help your brain be reminded of that.
A holiday for your brain is as good as a real holiday.
Are you in ‘change limbo’?
If you’re finding it tough to move through change, you might be stuck in change ‘limbo’.
This happens when you struggle to see opportunities as a result of the change.
It can be tricky to see the positives when change happens around you.
If this rings true for you, it’s time to get support. Speaking to colleagues, counsellors, coaches or a therapist can help you process what you’re working through and find a way forward.
Your workplace may have access to an EAP (employee assistance programme), where you can receive free counselling with a professional.
Alternatively, it could equally be time for a change that you’re in control of.
We are more motivated to take positive action when we feel in control, and taking a moment to reflect on what your next step could look like can help you feel more in control.