The Importance of Change

“I hate change!” 

Feel familiar? Over the years, I have heard people say that they hate change, but usually this feeling is more about finding it hard to cope with change. 

Last week we spoke about two types of change. The type we choose (aka that we control) and the type that chooses us (aka that we can’t control). When we think about change in a negative way, we are often referring to new experiences that feel out of our control or about making big decisions, and this can be intimidating. Whenever we feel out of control, or fear that something could go wrong (high-stakes choice), we go into fight-or-flight mode. This feeling state will automatically tell our nervous system that we can’t cope with this change or that we should try to avoid it. 

As much as our fight-or-flight feelings can be useful, they can also hold us back from amazing opportunities. 

Here are 5 reasons why change is important:

1. Opportunity

Change in our lives can bring us amazing opportunities! Sometimes it brings us things we could never have predicted or imagined, and the change is extremely positive in our lives. If you choose to stay on the same path, one that doesn’t fulfill you, you may miss out on better opportunities. 

Bring a little bit of excitement to your life―small changes go a long way!

2. Growth

Making small changes in your daily life leads to personal growth. Learning something new by trying something different from your normal, no matter how small, allows you to expand and grow.

3. Flexibility

Once we get into the routine of feeling comfortable with small changes, this actually helps us to be more flexible. This will help you at work or in social settings when the plans shift unexpectedly. You will be able to cope better with these types of changes, and they will cause less anxiety.

4. Values

When we start to think about change, we start to re-evaluate our lives. We take a look at our values to ensure we are living by them. Does the current way you do something fit with your values about it?

Change helps us to look at these values and take small steps towards living the life we really want.

5. The Snowball Effect

Making a big change can seem daunting. But if we look at what we would like to change and break it down into smaller parts, it feels more manageable. Once you start making these incremental changes, the snowball effect comes into play and every step after that will seem easier and easier to tackle. You’ll hit your target before you know it!

Remember, changes can be exciting even when you have nervous energy!

As a bonus this week, I have a 20-minute yoga practice for you. Try it before or after you sit down to tackle a big change in your life to help ease you through any tension or stress that shows up.

Keep living your truth,