You’ve probably heard lots of phrases about change. Things like “a change is as good as a rest” or “change is inevitable”. But we also know that some people “don’t like change”. So, what do you do if you feel like things are changing, but you just don’t want them to?

Embracing the inevitable

Change can be really hard, especially if you’re not prepared for it to happen. You might see people all around you happily embracing change like it’s the easiest thing in the world: new jobs, new partners, new houses. But you might not want to embrace those things in the same way.

The thing to remember is that change really is inevitable. Nothing can stay the same way forever. So, the best thing to do is to make sure you’re prepared for change and you feel in control of the things happening in your life.

Choose how to manage change

Some people are great with change – they run headlong into it with open arms. Others like to cautiously dip their toe in the water to see what it’s like, but you might be someone who stumbles into it reluctantly and struggles to accept it.

The key thing is making sure you’re happy with the way you manage that change. If you’re someone who finds it hard, try to focus on the parts of change that you can control. Say it’s something small like someone changing the time you’re meeting them – you can remain in control by choosing the place you meet. If it’s a bigger change in life, try to accept that you can’t control everything that happens, but make things bite-size if you can. You might not be able to control the whole event, but you can have a handle on the smaller chunks.

It’s okay if something’s not ok

I’m not saying you have to embrace all change. In fact, perhaps it’s good to realise that sometimes, you just don’t want the change. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen. But it does mean you allow yourself to have a good old grumble about it if you want to before it comes. There’s no right or wrong way to manage change – there’s just a best way for you to do it personally.

So don’t worry about what other people are doing or how they’re managing things. Do things that make you happy and feel in control of the inevitable. Who knows, you might just end up enjoying change more than you thought!