1. Embracing Change And Managing The Resultant Stress
Change has always been a factor in stress management. Being able to handle and deal with the
stress that comes with change. Change, in whatever form, can be met in two ways – either it is
welcomed or it is not.
People are always fearful of change that happens in their lives. That is maybe why some people
become stressed by it. Maybe it is the unexpected that can stress out people whenever change
happens in their lives. And there are different ways and phases that people react to change that
happen in their lives.
The most common reaction to change is shock and surprise. When confronted by unexpected
situations such as accidents or other unplanned events, surprise seems to be the immediate reaction
for many people. Such situations make people realize that certain plans and patterns one has made
in life can reach some unexpected changes. The realization that nothing is permanent can be a
source of stress for some people as change may come as a surprise.
Some people react to change with denial and refusal to accept change. Some people even try to
bring out certain values in order to support that any change is not necessary. This may be a
secondary reaction to change after the surprise and shock phase.
At times, people move on from surprise and sometimes denial to a rational understanding of change.
People may see that change may actually be needed in certain situations and that there are reasons
why changes happen. Through this, people begin to learn how to find ways on how to deal with the
situation. But at this point people may still not be willing to have change affect their behavior but
rather find some means to remedy the situation instead.
Change can sometimes lead people to react in two different ways. At certain points, change may
reach a certain level where it becomes a crisis. At this point, people may either accept it or totally
avoid it. When people learn to accept the change, no matter how unpleasant, they are not affected by
the stress that comes with it as much as the ones that may wish to avoid or ignore change. Avoiding
evident changes, especially the unpleasant ones, can sometimes lead to additional stress to people.
Trying to fight one's own way in dealing with change other than accepting it can sometimes be a lost
cause. Conflicts, both internal and external may arise and give considerable stress to people. It is
only after learning how to accept the changes that will help release some of the burden that denial
and refusal to accept change brings along.
Stress management works by being able to understand and learn about how people deal with
changes. Knowing the different reactions and the phases that people go through with change can
help people get a better grasp of dealing with the results of change with less stress.
Anxiety stress relief