Don’t Fear Change, We All Need To Shed Our Skins To Grow
Don’t Fear Change, We All Need To Shed Our Skins To Grow
Nothing stays the same forever and this is a good thing
Change is scary.
Change has been on my mind lately, as I’ve had a fair amount of it in recent years. I suspect as a result of COVID-19 many of us have.
We all function within different comfort zones. But even the most daring of us may fear change. Especially big changes. Change brings uncertainty and confusion; it creates instability that causes us to feel unsafe.
Our brains are programmed to protect us. But they can sabotage us by feeding into our fears and tickling at our anxieties, leaving us reluctant to change. And so we keep on trudging along in life. Not necessarily happy, and certainly not fulfilling our potential, but comfortable and safe in the knowledge that at least everything is familiar.
Change is terrifying!
But you know what I think is scarier than change? Not changing!
Wasn’t it Einstein who said:
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
Hopefully, this conversation we are about to have will stop you from resisting change.
Shake up your routine to help embrace change
I’m not for one second suggesting that you move house, change jobs, get married or divorced immediately. Hell no, but I want you to recognise that if you aren’t happy in any area of your life, you have the power within you to instigate changes.
Maybe your health could do with some rejuvenating. Or perhaps you have found yourself in a cycle of merely existing and not really living. It’s time for a change.
I’m a huge advocate of shedding our old skins everyone once in a while so we can grow into new ones.
We can’t grow if we don’t change! Initiating small changes first is a great way to desensitise to the discomfort of change.
Many of us have built a routine of sorts. Routines are revered for productivity and habit-building. But they can also be stifling and limiting.
In what ways do you think you can shake up your weekly and daily routine? Here are a few ideas:
Get up earlier and exercise.
If you work from home, consider working from a library or co-working space a few times a week.
If you drive to commute, shake it up and take different streets. Alternatively, change your mode of transport. Can you cycle, walk, or get the bus?
Try new foods! Cook different recipes. An easy way of doing this is to sign up for a subscription like HelloFresh.
Explore places you have never been.
Go to a museum or take in a show.
Watch a film you wouldn’t usually pick.
Read articles or books on topics you know nothing about.
These small changes may seem fairly innocuous, but they will help create new neural pathways that jolt you out of your old sleepwalking patterns and help bring you back into the world of truly living. These little changes will help ease you into feeling more comfortable with making bigger changes.
Initiate difficult conversations
A key part of our fear of change is in the conversations we may need to have. How will people react? What will they say? What if we hurt or offend others? What if we hear something we are scared of hearing?
Difficult conversations are a necessary part of change and growth.
When we go through life avoiding difficult conversations, we may protect ourselves from hurt, but we also shield our hearts from joy.
Consider what areas of your life don't bring you joy. Who do you need to speak with to improve the situation? No excuses; it’s time to talk! It’s time to be brave and initiate difficult conversations.
Be the change
Mahatama Ghandi said:
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
This quote places the responsibility of change firmly in your hands.
If you want to see a kinder world, you must be kinder. If you want a fairer world, you must be fairer. Life is messy and chaotic, and with the state of politics all around the world, we can be left feeling our input is irrelevant. You are not insignificant; remember, from small acorns, large trees grow.
Take a moment to consider what you would like your perfect life to look like - please be realistic. Now identify what changes you must make to bring you closer to your ideal.
Start small, get comfortable having difficult conversations, and start to advocate for yourself.
Remember, change is not as scary as not changing!
Have you experienced significant life changes? How did you navigate these?
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Abnormally Normal is for everyone who feels like they don’t fit in.