Learn 5 ways to manage change that actually work

We’re nearly halfway through the year and those goals you may have set for yourself in January (hello new year’s resolutions) may be awash in light of this pandemic. Perspective will either tell you to completely redo them or revisit them and make them work FOR you in our current state. Change has always been a constant and yet for so many it’s the most common thing people struggle with.

At times, it’s what comes with the change that has us fearing the impact it will have on us personally. A new way of being, a new process to learn, a new location to get used to, new people to work with, the list goes on.

While we’re all living in a time where it’s uncertain and ambiguous is the adjective we use these days to describe businesses, it becomes amplified when we’re dealing with change on top of change. The one that’s not just happening in the world but the one that you’re going through personally.

Your change can be anything from having your mentor or manager getting laid off, your kids’ schedule changing multiple times with school adjustments, inheriting a new employee or new hire on your team.

The way we shop, the way we work and how we socialize with one another has all changed in just a few months. While businesses have been impacted some greater than others, you have the changes within businesses themselves that are going through their upheaval. 

From going through massive layoffs to downsizing their product offerings to shifting roles and wearing multiple hats to trim and save costs where they can.

All the while, you’re in the middle of this trying to manage and quite frankly, stay afloat.

Self-care practices will tend to your overall wellbeing as they should and hopefully, you prioritize it in such a way where it’s a part of your life and not something you do when you need to. Managing change amid change takes those self-care practices with some necessary practical mindset adjustments to help manage.

So, how do you manage it all in changing times when your world is also changing at the same time?

• Focus on what you can control – the world around us changes constantly. We know that. This global pandemic hasn’t been shy to let us know “what’s up” and what’s changing. What we can control is our attitude, our thoughts, our feelings, our behavior, our choices and decisions. They make a difference in chaotic times and particularly when it comes to managing how you will choose to move forward.

• Identify and process it – when the mind is in overdrive running through scenarios and analyzing every thought or choice and decision you need to make; clarity has no room to emerge. Not to mention you can’t clearly identify your emotions. A clear mind allows for clear thoughts to come through. The next time you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, give yourself space and time to sit with what’s going through your head and feel what comes up for you. An example,

“I’m angry because my schedule has shifted yet again. I have no energy at the end of the day and no time to do everything I need to get done.”

Identify it – is it anger or are your boundaries not being enforced and you’re giving too much of your time and energy away? Don’t be afraid to investigate what might be coming up for you and do a little digging. Ask a trusted friend or colleague to help you identify it if you need support to work through the underlying emotions.

Process it – once you’ve identified it, how will you process it? Can you have a conversation with someone and express how you’re feeling and ask for what you need? Do you need to journal about it or talk it out some more with a trusted friend or colleague? Can you go for a walk and move your body to help clear your head and get some clarity? Maybe both? Energy and emotions get stuck in the body when it has nowhere to go. They are meant to flow!

• Reframe and affirm – once you’ve identified the stressful thought you’ve been cycling and processed the emotions behind it, reframe and affirm. With the example above, a reframe might be, “what is this trying to tell me and what’s within my control?” An affirming statement might be, “I’m happy to be flexible with my schedule and will prioritize my priorities first to ensure I have enough to give to those who need me.”

• Time management – managing your time – arguably the most valuable resource becomes even more important in changing times. Your schedule can soon become everyone else’s schedule but your own if there’s no control over it. Prioritize the biggest responsibilities in your day that will take the most energy and resources. This includes yourself!

• Be present – by far one of my favorite reminders. When your mind starts to get ahead of yourself and races to the next thought, task or ventures far into the future, come back to the present moment. It’s not only calming but brings you back to the place that you have control over – what’s happening at that very moment.

Change is inevitable and while all of us as a collective are going through it together, it doesn’t take away from each one of us who may be going through our own personal changes. Whatever they may be.

Managing through that can be tough if we’re constantly switching gears without processing how we feel about what’s going on *and* if we’re OK with it. You deserve to do more than just ‘stay afloat,’ let’s thrive instead.

Which of these tips can you see yourself applying starting today? Remember, you and you alone are fully capable of navigating through any change whether it’s getting through a global pandemic or managing the loss of your favorite leader to a layoff.

Let me know in the comments below.

P.S. check out one of my all-time favorite entrepreneurs Marie Forleo and her episode with Nick Ortner talking all things EFT (emotional freedom technique). Another tool you can learn more about to help relieve stress as you navigate change!

With all my love,

Lisa