Restructures, mergers, new leadership and new technology all bring uncertainty, and uncertainty triggers the same threat response as danger. Feeling anxious, irritable or flat during change is a normal response, not a sign that you are coping badly.
People also move through change at different speeds. Knowing where you are, and what is within your reach, makes it easier to steady yourself.
01
Where are you on the curve?
Stage 1
Shock and denial
What it can feel like: Disbelief, carrying on as before, waiting for it to go away, a lot of questions.
What helps: Clear information. Give yourself time to take it in.
Stage 2
Anger and frustration
What it can feel like: Irritability, a sense of unfairness, low motivation, worry about what you might lose.
What helps: Somewhere to voice concerns. Focus on what is within your control.
Stage 3
Acceptance and integration
What it can feel like: Starting to explore the new way of working, more energy, seeing some possibilities.
What helps: Small early wins, learning, and recognition for adapting.
Exercise
Where am I?
Which stage am I in now, and what tells me that?
What would help me move forward?
02
Control, influence, accept
List your concerns about the change, then sort them.
| I can control | I can influence | I need to accept, for now |
|---|---|---|
Put your energy into the first two columns. For the third, the work is to notice the worry, acknowledge it and bring your attention back to what you can do.
Exercise
What I need
A question I want answered, and who I will ask:
One thing I will do this week that is within my control: