Strategies to Help You Overcome Your Fear of Change

by Myrna Baroudi Makhlouf

In life, there are no certainties, but if there is one thing that is constant for of all, it is that all things change – all the time – whether careers, feelings, people, organizations, relationships, places, or nature.

Change can be scary though, and many of us do all we can to avoid it as we fear failure,

criticism, loss, uncertainty, and, yes, sometimes even success and happiness. Needless to say, such fears negatively impact our sense of well-being, and may even affect our health.

Considering that change is the – inevitable – essence of life, what strategies can we use to overcome our fear and embrace change so that we are better able to grab opportunities, live better relationships, replace bad habits, and live happier and healthier lives?

Try these steps to overcome your fear of change:

Accept uncertainty

The first step to take is to accept that change and uncertainty are a part of life. The sooner you accept this reality, the sooner you can learn to better cope with change. Try to see change as an opportunity to grow, learn, and improve. 

Allow yourself to freak out

Faced with a major change, fear is natural. Allow yourself to experience your emotions with great empathy toward yourself. Accept your feelings, but don’t let them paralyze you – move to the next step.

Take responsibility 

Our brain sticks to what it knows. It keeps telling us the same story (even if it’s not a reality), based on our past experiences and resulting beliefs. Take responsibility by examining your fear, why you resist (a particular) change, and which type of change most triggers you. This, combined with learning and accepting what you can and cannot control (such as others’ thoughts and actions), can help you to respond to change more effectively.

Assess the change and plan for it

Take some time to calmly consider to pros and cons of the new situation, think about the worst-case scenario and any difficulties you may encounter, and plan to mitigate them. Being prepared by having a plan can help ease your fear. But also look at the best possible scenario and focus on its possibilities. If you have trouble doing this for any major change, you might consider seeking professional help from, for example, a coach or business consultant.

Start with small steps

Start with small steps. Work first to conquer a few small fears and notice how your confidence increases. Also, larger challenges will be easier to tackle when you divide them into small steps and work to achieve one at a time.

Create your support system

Surround yourself by people whom you know are positive or funny, who will support you and back you up no matter what will cheer you up when needed or remind you how good you are when you’re feeling down.

Others have had to make major changes in their life and may well be able to offer you valuable guidance based on what prompted them to make a change, how they did it, and how it made them feel. Surround yourself with trusted people who support and uplift you.

Learn from failure

Fear of failure and judgment is likely the greatest, paralyzing fear associated with change that stops us from moving forward. But, have failures not propelled us forward all our lives? Did we not fall when we learned to walk, only to get back up over and over again until we succeeded – without judgment from anyone? Did inventors or startup businesses not fail, only for their owners to adapt and realize success based on what they learned from their past mistakes? Plan, but try to worry less about failure. Learn and adapt along the way.

Celebrate success

We are often quick to notice the negatives – what’s not working, what we’re not (yet) able to do – thereby limiting our progress. Celebrating and rewarding yourself for even the smallest victories each day is a great way to stay motivated. By doing so, your brain will link accomplishment to pleasure.

Don’t let fear hold you back from living a better, more positive life. With regular practice, you can learn to accept, embrace, and manage change, opening up a world of new possibilities and a more positive, healthier life.

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