Change is coming. Some of the change will be good change. Maybe you’re getting a raise or a promotion. Maybe you’re finally getting married. Or maybe you just paid off your mortgage (if you want to see how long it will take to pay off your mortgage, you can use one of these mortgage calculators).
There are good changes. These changes are the ones that are typically easy to navigate and lead through.
Photo by Francisco Moreno
But what happens when there is negative change? What do you do then?
We will all face negative change. This change will challenge you and make you squirm. It’ll tell you that you’re not good enough or you’re not wanted.
Yet you can navigate through the negative change. YOU can make it through!
Dealing With Negative Changes
Negative changes will come at you hard. They’ll make your head spin and wonder what you’re going to do.
Maybe your star team member decided to jump ship and go to the competition. Now you’re looking for a new team member and your competition has an all-star employee.
Or maybe the negative change is something more personal. Maybe your dog passed away. You’re left lonely and missing the hairy mutt.
Change isn’t easy. Negative change is even worse.
We know that. But do we know how to deal with negative change in our lives? We’ll look at ways to deal with negative change below.
Mourn the negative change:
First, mourn the negative change. Loss is hard. Change is hard. You’ll feel many emotions. Don’t hide them.
Be willing to let yourself mourn the change. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a business going under, or an employee turning on you, you need to mourn.
Take time to grieve. Process your emotions. Let them out in a healthy way.
Celebrate the negative change:
You may think I’m crazy with this one. Especially after I told you to mourn negative change. Maybe I am. I mean, my wife tells me I’m crazy… So, there’s that.
But I have found one way to navigate through difficult change is to celebrate the change. You don’t have to like the change or be happy about it. You can still celebrate it.
Celebrate the fact something new is coming into your life.
You will have the opportunity to let the negative change hold you back or you can be grateful for what the change brings. I say choose to be grateful and celebrate.
Figure out what you need to change:
When negative change comes, sometimes it is a wake-up call. Think of a heart attack.
Having a heart attack is a negative thing. Your body suffers and so do those around you. Yet, if you survive, a heart attack can be a wake-up call on things you need to change.
You may need to eat healthier. Or you may need to increase your amount of physical activity. A heart attack will change your life. It’ll also wake you up to what you need to do.
Look at what the negative change is telling you. There are things you can change and improve. Use the negative change as a catalyst to make positive change in your life.
Get back at it:
Negative change can knock you back. It’ll hurt but you can survive it.
One thing you cannot do is to let the negative change stop you from moving forward.
You cannot stop making forward progress because you’ve encountered negative change. That’s what it wants to do. It wants to stop you from living.
Choose to get back at the daily grind when negative change hits you.
Go to your friends:
One of the worst things you can do when negative change strikes is to retreat into isolation. This action may feel like the first thing you should do. IT IS NOT.
Instead, go to your friends… Your pain partners.
Ask for help from your close friends. Seek their wisdom and counsel. Get their advice.
They can help you navigate the negative change with an outside perspective. Let me help you get through this difficult time.
Question: How are you dealing with negative change? What steps are you taking to overcome it? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.