Change is Inevitable: Perspectives on Adaptation

There are so many variables in life. We seek routine while adjusting to the evolving world around us. For many, the subtle and drastic changes can create fear and anxiety. For others, myself included, this change is anticipated and presents an opportunity to adapt.

Now, I’m not saying that change is easy or positive. Change always causes stress. However, we all learn to deal with stress differently and have different tolerances for that stress. Our first lesson is that Change is Inevitable.

It doesn’t matter whether your pet turtle dies, or your boyfriend proposes to you, or the results of the national election weren’t to your liking, or a natural disaster rips through your neighborhood, or you win the lottery… At some point, change will happen in your life. When it happens, that change will cause a level of stress on you. We then need to ask ourselves; how can I deal with the change and how can I prepare myself for the stress?

We’ll start with the unexpected change. The change that suddenly appears and usually causes a high amount of stress. This change offers us a lesson in adaptation and how we can start to be innovative in our approach. How can you anticipate and deal with what you don’t know or understand?

1. Deal with immediate needs.

Depending on the situation, there may be some items to deal with immediately. This could be medical necessity, a friend or loved one in crisis, the safety of you and those around you, or you’re not in a position to do anything. If you are not in crisis yourself and can think through the situation calmly, do what needs to be done first. Grab the first aid kit. Be a shoulder to cry on. Troubleshoot and help others be safe. Get yourself to a place away from danger and where you can think.

2. Allow yourself time and space.

Take some time to think about the change that happened. What caused it? How does it impact you and those around you? Could you have controlled the situation or done something differently? T

Take this time to allow yourself to reflect on the change. What are the next steps? What tools or resources would you need? Are you physically and emotionally prepared for life after this change?

3. Seek support where needed.

We can’t always deal with change on our own. Its often helpful to seek support, resources and tools. Perhaps you want to talk to friend about it. You may feel like you need professional help and want to seek counseling. Maybe you’ll need money or some more information. Maybe you’ll need a tool or piece of equipment/

Are you able to access the people, places and things that you need to deal with the change? If so, you should notice your stress level go down. If not, then you may need additional support. This is an opportunity to reach out to people in your community and ask questions… others may be going through the same thing.

4. Make a decision.

What are you going to do? Once you’ve given yourself time to consider what happened and what you need to deal with it. Then take the next step and be the leader of your own change.

Every person has the capacity to adapt. Even when we need help, the decision to adapt is one we must all personally make. When we choose to adapt, it’s an acknowledgement of our resilience.

At Innovate Adaptation, the goal is to share stories of change from my own experiences and other people. I’ll share tips and tricks that might be helpful to you or others. I’ll discuss various types of supports resources and tools that you might run across. I’ll explore with you how to become comfortable with change as a natural part of life.

I look forward to getting to know this new community.