What do you do when things change?
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If you don’t like something change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude” – Maya Angelou.
Change can mean a lot of different things, and many changes to our lives and circumstances can be positive. However, sometimes a negative change or indeed simply the way we handle a shift in the balance of our lives can have a huge impact on our emotional health.
Perhaps you’ve lost your job, started a family of your own or you’ve just said a final goodbye to a loved one? The lack of control over a situation can send us into a spin. In many instances it is the chaos of the transition that leaves us feeling utterly discombobulated and without the recognition of familiar landmarks. Just the fear of this process can be enough to prevent people from moving on.
On the other hand you might permanently be seeking novelty, without even having brought the last change to its completion. This addiction to the adrenalin rush of change can mean that you end up achieving very little and lose touch with the goals you set out to achieve, distracted by new ideas on the way.
17. Examine your relationship with change
Creative minds have an uneasy relationship with change.
Some of them dread change, holding onto situations and people well beyond their sell-by date. This rigid and at times controlling attitude can stifle their own growth and renewal that comes with the fluidity of change.
On the other hand it may not be the newness itself that people fear, but rather the turmoil of the transition, when the old is dissolving and the new not quite yet materialised. You cannot tidy a cupboard though, without creating a mess first.
When looking at people’s attitude to change you also see those that become addicted to the constant dopamine-laced thrill of novelty or change. All too easily bored, they never absorb or complete anything, already focussing on the next horizon, before they grasp what they were after before. This restless, disconnected life can easily become lonely or depressed.
Examine your relationship with the natural movement of change. Does the idea distress you? Do you dread the chaos of the process itself? Or, does the adrenalin rush make you into a ‘change-junkie’, leaving you with little to show for life’s efforts?
Life flourishes when we accept the natural change and renewal of things. Reluctance to do so comes with a price tag and can leave us feeling out of kilter, harbouring much unwanted emotional and even physical baggage. Recognise when you’ve outgrown a situation or people and learn to let go and move on, however scary that might be! When one door closes, another is sure to open…
If you feel that a change has had a negative impact on your wellbeing, Human Givens can offer the techniques to get us through.
This tip has been taken from the free ebook - 22 Practical Tips to Calm the Chaos of the Creative Mind - your quick resource to restoring balance in your life. To download the full e-book simply click the button below.
