How to Stay Well in Changing Times
Once again, we’re undergoing a huge shift as we being to re-engage with the world, not just in terms of getting back into our social routines, but readjusting to the pace of change.
Author Ray Kurtzweil, who is the Director of Engineering at Google, has written about the acceleration of change, predicting a doubling of paradigm shift rate each decade. That’s a staggering rate of increase, translating to 20,000 years of technological advance in the 21st century instead of 100, based on his models.
How do we navigate these relentless seismic shifts? How can we fortify ourselves to manage the oncoming waves of change that will inevitably speed up as the years continue?
It’s useful to have strategies in place to support us when change spurs a personal or professional transition, whether planned or unexpected – a resilience toolkit of sorts, a way of feeling empowered for challenges that lie ahead.
Here are some suggestions when you find yourself navigating change and transition:
Assess the situation: What's in your control and what's beyond it? Allow the uncontrollable events to unfold and be mindful to focus your energy where you can actually impact the situation.
Leverage the power of presence: How are you feeling in this exact moment? Fear can tighten the body with memories of the past and uncertainty about the future. When you're feeling overwhelmed, pause and see how you’re doing in this moment. Odds are, you're okay, you'll be okay and you have just what you need.
Review past successes: Where have you had successful transitions in the past? Were you able to shift your attitude or readjust your expectations? Remember all the ways you've accepted instead of resisted, along with the times when you've been resilient. Apply those lessons to your current situation.
Find the opportunity: How might this change invite you to take a step toward what matters most? Disruption of any sort brings a sense of newness and innovation. How might you use this as an opportunity to live more in alignment with your values? Listen for clues from your innate wisdom. What surfaces just might surprise you.
Make a plan: What tactical steps can you take? Doing a brain dump of all the chatter in your head and sorting through it can be therapeutic, in that it reduces uncertainty and it provides the next logical step. Even if you're not a planner, outlining a course of action can bring a sense of calm.
Take good care: What are you feeling and how can you process it? Change brings a well of emotions. Find the best way to help those feelings move through you with self-compassionate wellness practices. How are you sleeping, eating, moving, breathing? Align your activities with your energy level. Simple adjustments can go a long way.
Talk it out: Are you feeling overwhelmed? It's not unusual for our mental health to be impacted with some difficult emotions when we're navigating big changes. And that's because our brain wants to revert to old ways and habits that are no longer useful, which can cause anxiety. Don't be afraid to ask for help by talking to family, friends or getting external support.
Allow change to take its course: Do you find yourself looking for a shortcut? It's natural to want closure and stability. It may seem counterintuitive, but consider surrendering your timeline. Instead, envision life on the other side of change and get in touch with who you are in this next phase. As you're ready, you’ll begin to embody her over time.
Reflect on the experience: When you have some distance, this is rich territory to explore. What were the lessons? How have you changed? Are you stronger, wiser, more resilient?
In times of epic change, it can feel like you'll never be able to move forward again. But you will. And while life may never return to the way it was, there's new life on the horizon. Have faith in that and keep taking one step at a time.
Change will inevitably occur. It's part of our human experience. How will you choose to respond and stay well?
Journal Reflections: How have you historically handled life changes? How would you like to manage change going forward? What does your change resiliency toolkit include to keep yourself well along the way?