Overcoming the Fear of Change
Posted on May 25, 2023 by Rana El Deeb, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
How to know if you have "fear of change" and 4 practical ways to overcome it.
So many people suffer from the fear of change, which could grow into a phobia called metathesiophobia. Nearly everyone experiences various levels of fear of change. Its effects vary from stress to finding it difficult to make decisions and to avoid people.
Our reactions and how we deal with changes vary depending on many factors. More importantly, it is also determined by how change happens to us – whether it is a change we wanted or a change we are forced to go through
How do You Know When You Fear Change?
Change can be so draining that it can induce many adverse effects in one’s life, whether physically or emotionally.
Below are the numerous ways you can detect that you have a fear of change:
You have a routine that seems unchangeable only because you think abandoning that routine will terribly affect you.
You remain in an abusive and toxic relationship.
You experience increased heartbeats and anxiety attacks when you think about the future.
You find it difficult to think of leaving your job even when you know you should.
Other forms of fearing change are:
Important life alterations that induce stress.
Guilt and insecurity.
Debilitating fear of failing at something.
Fear of meeting potential friends. Fear of changing environments.Being an overthinker/Being oversensitive
.
Ways to Overcome the Fear of Change
Change always brings opportunities. First of all, you need to have the urge and want to build the courage to explore opportunities. Below are some tactics to try:
1. Understand the value that change brings to your life
Visualize and understand the positive change that will become part of you when you take steps to change direction. Remind yourself that you are not embracing change as a disappointment but rather a blessing, and use that to channel your energy into the required actions. Avoid thinking about what you might be losing and focus on what you could be gaining instead.
2. Make small changes first
You do not have to start big – starting small works for almost everything in life. Peradventure, you find it discouraging to take the bus to work rather than the taxis you use every morning. One good way to adjust is to make friends on the bus. That way you will find it easier to get to the bus when you need to.
3. Establish a Support System for Yourself
Choose trusted friends and family as resources for direction, advice, support, ideas, and knowledge. Having this support system will keep you encouraged and focused on what you want to do. They can hold you accountable and remind you of your aims and objectives while helping you understand that the process you are going through is for your personal growth. It is important to your general well-being to be in an environment where you feel nourished and validated.
4. Have optimistic expectations and contingency plans
While you can’t always control outcomes but you can plan for them. Know what you’ll do if things go wrong to mitigate the consequences as much as possible. Also, to maintain a happy attitude, wish for the best because your positive energy can contribute to favorable occurrences.
Remember, your peace is more important. Ensure you put these into use, and you’re well-positioned to avoid the effects the fear of change can cause
