Coping with Change
Change, change, change. This seems to be the only word people are talking about these days. Change in families, change in relationships, change in the workplace, society, all in all nothing seems to ever stay the same. This whole concept of change is not new of course.
Coping with Change
We all live with change every day of our lives. As everyone knows each day will be different than the last. For this we can be thankful, ongoing sameness does nothing for our creativity, sense of adventure and need for new horizons. The challenge of today's "change concepts" are that they are of a larger more intense level, external, and unplanned. These ongoing types of changes have led society to experience a higher level of stress and uncertainty.
Four Categories of Change
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Planned - Low Impact - ie. Deciding to include more healthy types of food into your daily diet
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Planned - High Impact - ie. Planning a pregnancy, wedding, or job
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Unplanned - Low Impact - ie. Something unexpected happens in your work day, you have to stay late and you have to cancel your plans for the evening
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Unplanned - High Impact - ie. A serious accident at work causing a life long disability
We have no control over unplanned change, but we do have control over how we perceivechange - As a crisis or as an opportunity. In experiencing change we all will go through somewhat of a transition process. This process is not linear, but rather we can go up and down and around the various stages of reaction to change.
- Ignore - At times we react to change by being unwilling to see that changes are taking place. We do this by continuing to do things the way that you use to, all the while telling yourself that this will all go away soon.
- Contemplation - There are also times when we are able to realize that things are changing, but we are not ready to do anything differently in response to this realization of change. We may only be willing to talk about the changes or learn more about what is going on.
- Preparation - During this stage we may be able to realize that things are changing and that we will have to as well. This is usually the time when may be able to challenge ourselves and think about opportunities and make small changes in response to the change occurring.
- Action - Now comes the time when we are able to do the best we can with the changes that are or have taken place. We may be able to show our creativity and willingness to learn from the change, by combining our past and present experiences. We are also maybe in a position to look at the opportunities that have emerged and take new risks. We are also able to experience some of the positives of the change and reflect that although the transition was difficult the end result was worth it.
All types of change causes stress. During times of high impact change, it is important to remember that self care and a daily stress reduction plan is the key to mastering change and experiencing success.
Additional Links on the Topic
COPING WITH CHANGE
All families experience change. Some changes are expected and welcome; other changes may be sudden and painful. This program helps families who may be experiencing significant change to adjust and successfully manage their roles as parents.
MAY 1997 - COPING WITH CHANGE NEWSLETTER
Online Newsletter May, 1997 - Coping with Change .Debunking the Myths - People really do love change! .Personality Differences - How different personality types respond to change .Tips for Management - How managers can help employees deal with change .Overcoming Barriers - Managing Barriers to Business Re-engineering Success .Internet Resources - Links to articles and sites dealing with change
