Does it ever seem like the minute you get comfortable, someone or something pulls the rug out from under you? If you're someone who hates change, life is going to be full of challenges—because the only sure thing in life is that things will change.
"You can't avoid change," says Jody Bertram, senior EAP consultant for VITAL WorkLife. "But, you can control how positively or negatively change will affect your life."
When faced with change, many people experience strong physical or emotional reactions—that may occur during and/or after the change actually occurs. People often feel different from their normal selves in the process of change. Don't be surprised if any of the following reactions occur:
Normally these reactions get better over time. To minimize the physical and emotional impacts of change, make sure you:
Another factor in how well you adapt to change is how resilient you are to change. Resilience is defined as the ability to recover quickly from misfortune. Resilient people seem to "bounce back" more quickly from life blows such as divorce, job loss, losing a loved one, a serious illness or unexpected financial difficulties.
Resilience also comes in handy when dealing with the stress caused by events that "ought" to be happy such as weddings, job promotions, newborn babies and winning the lottery.
"Change, whether good or bad, can be stressful," explains Bertram. "If you dread or run away from change, change will be more stressful than if you face your fears and develop skills for handling change."
For most people, the first step in building resilience is making some changes in their attitudes about change. Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself:
"Don't freeze or despair without first exploring all of your options," cautions Bertram. "Sometimes a sympathetic ear makes all the difference."
When you're uncertain about how to tackle a life change, VITAL WorkLife is here to help. Access your VITAL WorkLife EAP resources either through your VITAL WorkLife App or by calling 800.383.1908 Your EAP benefit includes free and confidential professional support resources from VITAL WorkLife—24 hours a day, 365 days per year—to help you and your family members address a wide range of life-changing situations, including:
If a change is making your life miserable, pick up the phone," says Bertram. "It can be extremely helpful to talk to and get feedback from someone who is objective about the changes going on in your work or personal life."
Working with an EAP consultant, you can sort through actions and behaviors that may improve your satisfaction and ability to cope with a new set of circumstances. Some people can resolve their issues about a change occurring in their lives with a single call—others may want multiple sessions in order to develop coordinated plans for:
"There's no one-size-fits-all approach," notes Bertram. "We'll work with you to find solutions that address the specific issues you're facing today, as well as your hopes for the future."
Your Member Website houses hundreds of helpful articles and links to resources that can help you manage change and build your resiliency, including:
Accessing these resources is easy. Simply follow these steps: