Hello, and welcome to the aligned achiever podcast. I’m your host, Siobhan Barnes.

And today we’re diving into navigating change and thriving in uncertainty.

So why am I talking about this topic?

Well, I’ve recently been having a lot of conversations with people who are in transition and change, whether that’s something’s happened at work, and there’s a restructure or reorg. And they’re being elevated into a different position that requires them to step up. Or unfortunately, they’ve been made redundant, and they’ve had to like figure out another path, this topic of change really comes up, it can come up, you know, in our careers, it can come up equally in our personal lives when something happens, you know, perhaps a partner has a different direction that they’re going in, or your kids have something coming up. And also, let’s also not forget the major factor that’s at play at the moment, which is technological advancement, right?

Change is constant change is inevitable.

And navigating change is a crucial skill that can make or break your success and your happiness. And I think most of us when we think of change, it can be really, really daunting.

So I wanted to cover how to navigate change in today’s episode, because I believe that with the right mindset and strategies, you can turn challenges into opportunities and thrive in any situation.

Whilst I say that, I want to acknowledge that when you’re in a moment of change, it can be disorientating, it can be stressful, it can be anywhere but where you want to be right, it can be like, I don’t want to be in this place. It is awful. So my heart goes out to you, I see you, I feel you, it isn’t always easy. And what I’ve seen, if you want to borrow this, in my own experiences, and the experiences of my clients is oftentimes, once this has passed, and you have navigated this next leg of the journey, you can oftentimes my clients reflect and look back and say, “Oh, that was a hard point, but that set me up for where I am now. That’s put me on this path, which is perhaps even truer to my values and what it is that I want.” So my intention, and hope is that is for you.

In this episode, you have some strategies and things to think about in order to be able to navigate, change, and come out stronger on the other side.

So understanding change, like, let’s talk firstly, about why it’s hard.

Before we dive into strategies, I think we have to understand why change is often met with resistance.

Change can trigger feelings of fear, and uncertainty, which we don’t like, right, we want certainty, we want to know things are going to be okay. And when our comfort zones or our norms have been disrupted. This really challenges our sense of control. And we all love a certain sense of control, you might be aware of this, you might think I’m a control freak, or maybe you just hadn’t thought about it. But you know, you like to know what’s happening, right?

If you have a morning routine, you like to know that your bus is coming or your train is coming at a certain time. And if you get to the train station at this time, you’re gonna get to the office at that time. Or if you’re driving, right, you know that you have to leave by a certain time to get there at a certain time. And you know that you’re going to see your barista in the morning, get that cup of coffee, right? Like kind of some typical morning routine, right?

You like that sense of control, but change. When that happens. It’s like suddenly like, whoa, what do I do here? What I have to do some active thinking because you’re not like running on, you know, autopilot.

So when there is change, you’re literally activating your nervous system and your body, you’re literally on high alert, there’s a vigilance, that’s what’s going to happen. And particularly if there’s change, like within an organization and you don’t know what happens, then it can bring in a little bit of like, well, I’m going to muscle my way and like defend what I’m doing. And there can be kind of a defensive mechanism that’s at play.

If there’s change where suddenly your job situation has changed, and you’re not earning as much income, or no income, suddenly, that can activate your nervous system and your survival mechanism can start to kick in. So we can literally find ourselves feeling more stressed, more anxious, palms are sweaty, like even as I think about this, like I find my body’s having a reaction. And literally when you’re navigating change, you might fight find that you’re in the kind of fight flight freeze phone, like you’re having a natural response.

And even if you’re listening to me and you’re like, I don’t think that’s true, I invite you just to take a moment. Take a breath. And just to check in with yourself and if you’re navigating change, it could be a small or a big one. I think we all are in any given moment. Just to check in and ask yourself, how are you really doing? How are you really doing?

So for me as I sort of drop in I feel like I’ve been tying a lot of loose ends, a lot of things have been coming to completion, which feels really good. But I’m going through a bit of a transition and a crossroads at the moment, which when I have more clarity and perspective, I’ll share with you. I’m very transparent. I’ll share that with you in a later episode. But as I think about that possibility, like I find that I’m a bit what’s going to happen? There’s a bit of apprehension, there’s a bit of nervousness. And I find that I’m kind of wanting to fight. I’m like, I want to do stuff I want to get there, I want to kind of hustle and find my way through. So there’s that underlying the surface beyond the exterior, but I think I’m present in most like day to day situations, but what is it for you?

And even just taking that small moment and acknowledging what’s happening in your body can be very helpful, just to slow us down, and to acknowledge that there’s a lot of stuff your whole tank, there is a lot and oftentimes, when I work with clients, I have so much empathy, because there is a lot of stuff that they’re holding in.

So here’s a step by step guide for navigating change.

What do we do with change?

Number one, acknowledge your emotions.

Change can evoke a range of emotions, from excitement to anxiety, it’s really important to acknowledge these feelings rather than suppress them. So you can journal you can talk to a friend, you can seek a coach who can provide an outlet for your emotions and help you process them constructively. And I’m a huge proponent, as an embodiment coach to do this, to work with your emotions to fuel your behaviours, and ultimately, your results.

Number two, adopt a growth mindset.

Viewing change through this lens of growth rather than fear can make a significant difference. If you embrace the opportunity of change, as Oh, this is a time for me to learn and evolve. A growth mindset can then encourage that resilience, that creativity, and a proactive approach to challenges, it’s very much supports you from, you know, victim mode, which we’ve all been there to empowerment mode.

So something really, really helpful when you’re navigating change, set some clear goals of what you want to achieve.

Like what is within your control that can provide direction and motivation? Break down those goals into manageable steps and just create a timeline or rough structure for yourself to keep yourself on track. This allows you to make the process less overwhelming and to celebrate the small victories along the way.

So let’s say for example, you are working in a corporate career and you’re thinking of changing it up going into a different industry. You can’t control like when you’re going to get that next job or what industry might present itself as an opportunity, what you can do is you can proactively start looking at which industries you want to work in. So working with a coach to support you, for example, set some clear goals to support you in getting that clarity.

The other thing you can do is just stay informed and prepared.

Knowledge is power., so gather as much information as possible about the change that you’re facing. understand the reasons behind it the potential outcomes that can reduce uncertainty and help you make informed choices. But you know, with that information, stay adaptable and be prepared to pivot if necessary.

Then build a support network.

Surround yourself with people who can support you provide advice and encouragement, whether it’s friends, family, colleagues, coaches, mentors, having a strong network can support you in navigating change and make it less daunting.

Don’t hesitate to reach out and ask for help when needed. This is something I’m practicing doing myself like being really honest about what I’m navigating and letting others see me and the vulnerability of not knowing. Especially as a coach who does this for a living like that has been a total game changer.

Then focus on what’s within your control.

It’s really easy to get overwhelmed by the aspects of change that are beyond our control, like my boss or the company is going through restructure. instead just focus on what you can control. Identify what actionable steps you can take to influence the situation positively. And this approach can empower you to really reduce those feelings of helplessness and make you feel like you’re empowered.

Finally, embrace embrace flexibility and adaptability.

This is important when you’re going through change. I like the visual of bamboo, right? It’s strong and sturdy, but it also bends and flexes. So like bamboo, like be flexible, be open to new ideas, be willing to learn new skills and adjust your plans as needed and to pivot and adapt when you need to do so.

I said that was finally but really in all of this as you’re navigating change, look after yourself.

Change can be stressful, so make sure you take care of your physical your mental well being. Make sure you sleep make sure you get rest all the things that help calm your nervous system. So things like exercise, meditation, hobbies, these are all super helpful. A health and healthy mind and body are better equipped to handle changes.

So they are super, super important.

So that was a quick one how to navigate change and to thrive in uncertainty.

If you need support to navigate change, I’m opening up a handful of Get Unstuck Calls with me. So if you would like to receive support as you navigate change, come on over to the show notes at siobhanbarnes.com/113 to find the link to book in a time.

Thank you so much for tuning in.

And please remember, you are here for a reason. beyond merely hustling, grinding and merely surviving, you matter.