2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43
Many are afraid of change - metathesiophobia, sometimes also called neophobia, that is, the fear of the new. We feel comfortable in the familiar environment, routine and familiar things; We face changes in our comfort zone with doubt, suspicion and fear.
Nobody knows exactly what is changing and what you are getting yourself into. Why can't everything stay the way it is? The problem is that the world is designed like this, it is constantly changing. It cannot be stopped - which is why you must learn to deal with and overcome your fear of change. Don't make the mistake of shutting down for fear of change. In this article, I will show you where fear of change begins and what you can do to better cope with change …
Reasons: where does the fear of change come from?
It should come as no surprise to anyone that many changes occur throughout life. After kindergarten we go to school, then to the university, which very often happens in another city, in a new environment, new friends. This continues in work and personal life, there are always turning points in which change is inevitable. However, many find themselves unprepared, resist, and fear change.
But why? In fact, there are several possible reasons for fear of change:
Bad experience
One possible reason is a bad experience in the past. Anyone who has ever experienced a change that later turned out to be a fiasco does not want to experience something like this again. A one-off negative experience is often enough to generate a persistent fear of change. In the future, every innovation is expected to go wrong as well.
Self-doubt
Fear of change is often caused by self-doubt. They are afraid not to adapt to the new situation. We are not afraid of the changes themselves. Fear of change arises from the lack of confidence in the ability to cope with change.
Loss of control
Fear of change can also arise from fear of losing control. You can never tell in advance what exactly will change, and also whether it will go according to plan. Feeling unable to control these things leads to a fear of change.
The psychology of change
The upcoming changes provide a glimpse into human psychology. How will he react? How does he approach the matter? Afraid of change or optimistic? However, you should always take into account the circumstances - changes can be divided into two types:
Voluntary change
The first category is always more enjoyable. Each change here is self-initiated, it is carried out on its own initiative and, accordingly, with a high level of motivation. We want change and we are doing everything we can to do so. Voluntary changes are expected, for example, if your job is no longer enjoyable, you apply for resignation and reorient, or if you voluntarily leave your studies early to complete an internship. Whether it is your impulse, your decision, or your change is a great advantage to the psychology behind it; it doesn’t mean that there is no fear of change if it is made voluntarily. But it will be easier for you to accept change and it will be easier to overcome fear, because you have already made a decision for yourself.
Non-voluntary changes
This is much more complicated. A fixed-term employment contract expires and it will not be renewed, even if you want to stay with the company, your employer will file for bankruptcy and you will inevitably have to change jobs. Such unwanted steps lead to a strong fear of change and initial rejection. Chance is hard to see, beyond the fear of change, coercive innovation is more like a burden. This change usually goes through five successive phases:
- At first, the change is completely abandoned and its necessity is ignored. It pretends that everything will remain so.
- There is resistance, fearing change. Everything is being done to prevent future changes.
- Realizing that resistance will not help, the bottom of the crisis will come. Everything is being questioned, and the fear of change is especially great.
- From this moment on, things are on the mend. New opportunities are being explored and implemented step by step.
- In the end, we realize that, fortunately, things were not as bad as we feared, and we accept the new situation. The fear of change is also diminishing or has completely disappeared.
This is why you need to overcome your fear of change
The key to success in change: it doesn't always have to be a very big step that will change everything at once and turn your previous life upside down. This is usually necessary and inevitable only when the time is right. Fearing change, you've waited so long that it gets even harder. It is best to overcome your fear of change early on. Then even minor adjustments can have the desired effect. There are three good reasons to overcome your fear of change sooner rather than later:
You solve problems before they get worse
Of course, waiting in the beginning is the easier way. You hope that everything will go away by itself and the problems will disappear as quickly as possible. This may work in some cases, but it is not a promising strategy. Usually, in order for something to really improve, you have to do something yourself.
If you've acted before, you have an advantage. Despite conflicting hopes, problems have an unpleasant habit of increasing over time. Simply put: the later you start making the necessary changes, the more difficult it will be to fix the damage already done.
You leave options open
Not every window that opens remains open. Most of your options are limited to a certain time frame - and once you exceed them, there is no turning back. Realize this finality the next time you are faced with the choice of keeping things as they are.
It also gives you the time it takes to make a wise and considered decision to change. You do not (yet) have to act immediately, and you can take a close look at the alternatives and choose the path that promises the greatest success.
You are constantly improving
An important but unfortunately often overlooked finding is that improvement is not a one-off event, but an ongoing and ongoing process. It's not about making changes until the previous methods stop working. Success is achieved by those who act proactively and consider possible changes, even if they are not necessary.
This can be seen over and over again, especially in a corporate context. Successful companies do not wait until their business model reaches a dead end, sales figures decline, or consumers switch to competition. Instead, they are in a constant process of change and improvement.
How to deal with the fear of change
The question remains: what can you do to cope with your fear of change? It is clear that this will not be easy, because overcoming fears requires perseverance, discipline and a lot of work. The following tips can help you confront and control your fear of change:
- Hold on to your fear. There is no point in ignoring your fear of change, downplaying it, or pretending it doesn't exist. To overcome fear, you must face it. In the first stage, this includes accepting them and acknowledging them to oneself.
- Talk about it. Talking about it can help you better deal with your fear of change. Trust a partner or good friend. Explain what scares you and what you fear about the upcoming changes. This conversation gives a different perspective and helps against the fear of change because you get support and encouragement.
- Be aware of the worst case scenario. Fear of change usually means fear of the worst consequences and consequences. What if things really go wrong? Do this thought thoroughly to make sure that even the worst-case scenario is often not so bad. Knowing what can happen in the worst case gives you a lot of confidence.
- Look to the future with optimism. It is also important to have the right mindset: anyone who believes from the outset that they cannot cope with change only reinforces their fear. Instead, believe in yourself, encourage yourself, and acknowledge your strengths. Optimism is a very good remedy for fear of change.
- Take small steps. Fear of change is easier to deal with if you take small steps first. If possible, you do not need to change everything at once. It's easier to deal with minor adjustments and get used to a new situation. This way, you will also learn that there was no reason to be afraid of change and that next time you dare to do more.
Fear of change: quotes
People have always been preoccupied with change. Many famous personalities have already expressed their thoughts about the changes. Here are some of these sayings and quotes for you to reflect, inspire, and hopefully bring to life:
I don’t know if it’s better if this changes. But in order to get better, things have to be different
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
We need to pray for miracles, work for change.
Thomas Aquinas
If you don't want to change anything, you will lose what you want to keep.
Gustav Heinemann
Changes are needed, like leaf renewal in spring.
Vincent van gogh
Be the change you desire for the world.
Mahatma Gandhi
Only the stupidest and wisest cannot change.
Confucius
Anyone who wants to be happy for a long time must change often.
Confucius
Life belongs to the living, and everyone who lives must be ready for change.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The one who does what he is already doing always remains who he already is.
Henry Ford
When the wind of change blows, some build walls and others windmills.
Chinese proverb
Only those who change remain true to themselves.
Wolf Biermann
The secret to change is to focus all your energy on creating new things, not fighting old ones.
Socrates
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