The warm summer days are slowly beginning to cool into crisper mornings and evenings….we are officially in a season of change…The time felt right to revisit a topic we have explored in the past — Change, and how it can affect your business.
Although often positive, change can be extremely stressful for everyone for yourself and your business. Below we review a few tips relating to dealing with change and the potential accompanying stress:
1. Make a list of the positives — When frustrated by things not working the way they usually do, it’s too tempting to just dwell on negative thoughts. One trick for managing the uncertainty of change is visually focusing on the positives through thoughtful journaling. You don’t need any particular system or fancy journal to do this, just a simple piece of paper or even making notes on your computer or phone will work. When faced with unhappiness about things not working the way they should right now, stop and spend 3 – 5 minutes physically jotting down things that are going well in your life. After spending a few minutes physically looking at the positive elements of your life, the negative changes often seem more manageable.
In a 2017 article in Psychology Today, Dr. Stephanie A. Sarkis reinforces this tactic by saying: “Change presents us with the opportunity to grow, and it’s important to acknowledge how things have become better as a result.”
2. Communicate with those around you — As a parent or boss (or both), there is a lot of demand for information. Everyone wants to know what’s going on and how changes will affect their everyday situation. During a time of change, having a regular communication strategy is key:
For your kids, consider holding weekly family dinners or ‘update meetings’ to talk about what’s happening in their world and the world around them. Digital tools like texting and group chats or WhatsApp can be a great way to have quick check ins with everyone in the family.
For your employees, if you haven’t already done so, institute a system for communicating changes relating to company operations, staffing and important milestones. Especially with remote staff, weekly update emails or shared messages in a private Facebook group or Instagram account can quickly let your employees know you are aware of and care about the impact of change and uncertainty in their lives.
3. Have a healthy outlet for dealing with stress — Everyone needs an outlet for the physical ramifications of stress and change. Especially during times of great change and uncertainty, it’s critical to keep up those favorite activities as much as possible or find ways to adapt if your current favorite activity is unavailable. Has your favorite local restaurant closed and you miss their signature comfort foods? Look at preparing your own lasagna at home and enjoy the process. Is movie night your big escape but maybe a change in work or school schedules makes it hard to get out? Create your own home “movie night” by streaming an all-time fave or renting a popular new release and deck out the experience with your favorite popcorn, candy and movie partner!
4. Don’t forget — Laughter is the best medicine! It’s long known that a good laugh can often relieve stress and help with your outlook on the world. This is not to say you should trivialize the major changes happening all around you, but a little dose of humor can help with the sting. Scan through streaming channels for stand-up routines from your favorite comedians, begin following funny Facebook pages to break up the doom and gloom of your news feed or sign up for things like Jokes of the Day for a customized joke of your choice to start the day off right.
5. Make a list of the things you can control — Reinforcing Dr. Sarkis’ mantra about the importance of writing down the positives of change, it is equally important to recognize the things within your control. You are not able to dictate everything happening around you, but you can dictate how you respond to those situations. As simple as it sounds, make a list (both you and your entire family) of all the things within your control, such as: Meal times and choices, sleeping patterns, opportunities for education and enrichment and the use of digital tools to remain socially connected. You’ll find the more you focus on what you can control, the stress of the list of things out of your control will become minimized.
6. Keep looking to the future, even with uncertainty of change — Big changes might though off your long-term goal setting and scheduling of trips, adventures and milestones. Not knowing when you will be able to schedule that family vacation can easily compound the stress of change. Shift your focus to the short term for now, even if that is counter to your usual way of doing things. Set milestones and things to look forward to in one week, one month and two months…Then enjoy the anticipation leading up to those things and the experiences themselves and modify as needed as you navigate the change.
Change will continue to happen as we move through the next season and the important thing is to use tools and techniques to help you manage the stress that comes with change and celebrate the positive outcomes as well!
