Not all of us react to change the same way, some people, especially the millennial generation actively seek and embrace change, seeing it as an opportunity and exciting. These people tend to experience less stress when change does occur, however the majority of people are naturally hostile to change.
We all react to change differently. How we respond normally depends on the nature of the change and the resources and support we have available to cope with it. You may be excited about moving into a new home or worried about starting a new job. We may adapt easily to steady and planned changes, but find sudden deviations difficult to adjust to. But any change, even change we look forward to or that will be rewarding in the long run, can be stressful.
Central to all change, may it be positive or negative, is a component of loss. You lose someone, a routine, a way of doing things, and so on. It is this loss of familiarity that most of us dislike.
The stress caused by change can be physical or mental and can last for days or even months. Generally, the bigger the change, the more stress you’ll experience. Some experts liken the process of coping with change to the grieving process. One day you feel like crying; the next day you are angry at the world; the next you wonder why others are making such a big deal out of nothing; the next you want to run away. These are all reactions to the loss you are experiencing, not necessarily to the change itself.
Everyone moves through these stages at a different pace, depending on their own personality and on the type of change they are adapting to.
Don’t resist, be flexible, don’t be rigid, be supple, welcome change!