Per my usual, it’s the end of the month which means it’s time for the monthly wellness roundup post. If you’re not familiar, every Wednesday of each month I write a wellness/wellbeing post that’s centered around self-development and motivation. I also focus on a specific topic for the month. Last month’s topic was Life’s Challenge but I only wrote two blog post on that topic so there were no wellness roundup for August. You can read the blog post HERE and HERE. For this month my topic was centered around Change I thought it would be a great idea to do a round up post at the end of the month which entails me providing the highlights from the topics I wrote about each week for that particular month. Consider it a one stop shop if you will, for those who may have missed a Wednesday post, or if you need a refresher or a boost to help you get through.
For the month of September I talked about how we should accept change because it provides us with so many benefits. Although it may be scary at times change can help us grow in life but I also talk about why we are so resistant to it. The one thing I love about change is, although it’s challenging at times, we find ways to celebrate it because not all change is bad change.
WHY WE ARE RESISTANT TO CHANGE
I think we should learn to be more accepting and more opened to the possibility of it occurring in any situation. Change occurs often in the relationships we have with others because people change and we change. Sometimes change is good. I don’t think anyone wants to be the same person they were ten years ago nor would they want to be the same person they are ten years from now. We always want to change for the better and this is a good thing. Change is the thing people are referring to when they use the phrase “if you stay ready, you ain’t got to get ready lol.” You have to stay ready for it because you don’t always know when it’s coming and when it comes, depending on what the change is, it can really flip your world upside down and inside out. It’s ironic that we are not more prepared for it considering how often it occurs. With that said, here are four reasons why I think we can be resistant change.
IT CAN BE HARD especially if you’re learning something new. Learning to adjust to this change can be challenging so once again we want to resist. But over time we get acclimated to the new way or the new thing. That’s what I try to tell myself when I encounter change that I struggle with, I say “I’ll get use to it” and I keep it moving. Because we will, anything new that we encounter becomes second nature over time, especially if you use (or do it) often enough.
WE ARE CREATURES OF HABIT this is the reason why I’m resistant to change. I’m a creature of habit. Once I get use to something, I like to stick to it because I don’t have to think about it. What I’ve started doing is keeping in the back of mind that “things may potentially change one day,” that way I won’t be blind sided when it happens, and I’ll be some what mentally prepared when change occurs because I know it will.
3 EASY METHODS WE CAN USE TO ACCEPT CHANGE
Accepting change would be easier if it were a “no brainer”, in some cases we have no control over change when it occurs. Speaking for myself, when faced with change I automatically accept it because it’s a part of life, I’ve dealt with it many many times in the past, and I know I will get use to whatever the change is. I mentioned in last week’s post that change can be hard but we have to keep this in mind; it won’t be hard forever. At some point change becomes a natural part of our lives. With that said, the first method we can use too easily accept change is.
FOCUS ON THE FUTURE–In the previous paragraph I mentioned that change will eventually become a natural part of our lives. If we step outside the momentary inconvenience that change may illicit, and focus on the potential long term benefits it will help us become more accepting of change. For example, in last week’s post I mentioned that I have some resilience to change but what helps me is knowing I will get use to whatever the new change is. A typical reaction from me might be “Ugh, something new. But it’s okay, I’ll get use to it.” That mindset and reaction really helps me.
What’s your story around change? Is it a concept that you spend a lot of time stressing over? Or is it usually the furtherest thing from your mind? I often write these post for my readers who may struggle in certain areas but I hardly ever think about those who couldn’t care less, who don’t see the big deal, or who don’t understand why it’s so difficult for others but not for them.
THE POTENTIAL RISKS OF AVOIDING CHANGE
The risk of avoiding change is not at the higher end of the risk spectrum and I have mentioned in my previous post that sometime change is inevitable. Meaning we can’t always avoid it but choosing to avoid change because of fear or because you like things to stay the same is an ingredient of stagnation. We change to grow, we change to learn, we change to stay mentally active, and we change to experience life. These reasons alone are enough to endure the risk of accepting and embracing change. So what are some potential risks of avoiding change?
BEING LEFT BEHIND This could apply to many areas of our lives but this is especially true when you’re tasked with learning new ideas, things, lessons, products, technology, etc. especially in settings like the workplace or if you’re an instructor. Imagine what it would be like for the students and the educator if they refused to stay updated on new theories and lessons in their field. Similarly, when we don’t stay up to date in changes in our work environment by attending conferences or trainings we can be left behind. Especially if you work in IT. Change keeps us from being outdated.
SUPPRESSING INTERNAL GROWTH I am not a therapist nor do I work as a mental health professional so this is my unprofessional opinion. I think making a conscious effort to avoid change is some what similar (not the same) but somewhat similar to a form of social anxiety disorder. People who suffer from this disorder usually experience anxiety when they are in social situations and they may experience symptoms of fear, worry, avoidance, etc. Again, I am no professional so I don’t want to go any further with the details but my comparison is, people who avoid change may exhibit similar symptoms and will likely avoid change at all cost. I think this supresses something inside of us that could potentially interfere with our growth because I don’t think as human beings we were meant to avoid change at all cost.
CELEBRATING THE CONSEQUENCES OF CHANGE
Since change can be challenging for some people, I decided to talk about ways we can celebrate change when they occur. Some changes bring forth great consequences and those moments are worth celebrating. I want to circle back to what I said about great consequences because I don’t think I emphasized that enough in my posts this month. I talked a lot about how we can accept change and how change is inevitable but I haven’t said much, (if anything at all) about the consequences, especially the great ones; I’ll weave the benefits of those consequences in this blog some how.
I think change is worth celebrating because much like seasonal changes it brings forth new opportunities and possibilities. Some of us change with each season, and this can look different for everyone. For example, I know people who change their skincare products to accommodate the potential affects the weather will have on their skin each season. And that’s only one very small example of change.
I think change is worth celebrating because sometimes the consequences can be great. Everything listed above is an example of this but so many other areas of change falls under this umbrella. Leaving a bad relationship or a job, getting your dream job, purchasing a home, getting married, and or starting a family. Some of these are examples of changes that we want, so chances are the consequences will benefit us. Even the changes we dread have great benefits such as changes at work that can expand our mind and knowledge if you have to learn a new skillset.
What are some of the fears and reaction you have when it comes to change? Are you accepting of it when it arrives? Or do you try your best to resist? If you resist, have you notice any negative affects that it’s had on your life and how you navigate through life? I would love to hear.
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