I recently did training for a large company on stress management. One of the things I talked about was how trying to eliminate stress is impossible. And only creates more stress.
However, eliminating unnecessary stress is imperative!
One of the most common forms of unnecessary stress comes from resisting change.
We have a basic need to feel safe. In fact it’s the first level in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. For that reason, the brain seeks out consistency. We feel safe if we believe we know what’s going to happen next.
If we think we know what’s going to happen tomorrow, our brains look for that because the brain thinks it’s always right.
Our brains focus on what stays the same. After all, we know that we will live in the same house tomorrow and drive the same car tomorrow and go to the same job. We go about life as if we know what’s going to happen tomorrow.
However, if we allow this delusion - that we can predict the future - to exist unchallenged, we put ourselves in a position of being shocked, surprised or disappointed when things don’t go our way.
When things don’t go the way we predicted, our fight or flight system gets activated. But, instead of adapting to the change, we fight it. This is how we create unnecessary stress for ourselves.
Now, are there times when you need to fight change? Yes! Of course!
The point I’m trying to make is that we need to be flexible rather than reactive. We need to assess what’s changed and make a conscious decision about how to react to it.
Is this a change you should resist? Or are you just refusing to acknowledge what is?
What if you were to view the change as positive? Since the mind always seeks to prove itself right, it will begin to look for reasons why the change was positive.
Use your mind to your advantage. Since it always looks for reasons why you’re right, make it look for reasons why change is positive.
Change is constant. Facing and deciding how to deal effectively with change has to be constant to. Ignoring change won’t work except to create unnecessary stress for you.
Please don’t create unnecessary stress for yourself. It’s not worth it.