Change is inevitable but not always welcome. Richard Cooper, business development manager at The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF), provides some practical tips for adapting to change as a paraplanner.
The role of a paraplanner never stays the same. It’s always changing – very often due to reasons beyond your control.
Whatever the reason for change, what strategies can you put in place when you’re probably the busiest you’ve ever been?
Here are some hints and tips that you might find helpful.
Change is inevitable
The first thing to remember is that change is inevitable.
From personal shifts to a changing political climate or changes at work, adjusting to a new normal can be challenging. You may feel a mix of emotions, ranging from joy to sadness and everything in between.
With every kind of change research has shown that stress is a natural reaction.
Trouble is, when you’re stressed, the pillars of healthy living – eating well, exercise, sleep, and social time – tend to fall off your priority list.
If you can accept that change is inevitable, and is coming, you can look to navigate the journey and take some control.
Plan ahead
If you know change is coming, you can do some preparation. Think what impact the change is going to have on you and what you need to do to adapt or accommodate it.
Consider if you need to communicate with others affected by the change – this could include clients, stakeholders, team members, friends, and family. Clear communication will help create the support and collaboration you may need to be able to implement change effectively.
Take the time to reflect and, if appropriate, talk it through with your colleagues and managers. You could also consider whether you, or your team, would benefit from some additional learning or development.
Take control of what you can and save energy on what you can’t
There are two types of change: things you can control and things you can’t.
Even if change is happening at least partly because of outside causes, there are things you can do to counteract it or to effectively influence the direction of the change.
Consider:
- what action can you take now and in future?
- can you get involved to influence or help implement the changes effectively?
On the other hand, when the change is completely out of your control, don’t waste energy fighting against it. Learn to accept it, even if it’s not what you want, and adapt to the new reality.
Avoid avoidance
Another natural reaction to change is to stick your head in the sand. Coping with change can be so threatening that sometimes you just pretend it’s not happening at all.
Whilst this may seem the right thing to do, ignoring the reality makes it ten times worse when it happens.
Try to confront the changes head on and do what you need to do. Talk to friends, colleagues and your manager and discuss how you can deal with the change rather than avoid it.
Take care of yourself
Dealing with change in the workplace and at home can be difficult and draining, so be compassionate with yourself.
While you’re working out how to adapt and putting plans in place, don’t forget to take care of yourself.
It’s different for everybody, so trust your own experience, but things that tend to work well are exercise, healthy food, plenty of sleep and taking refreshing breaks. Some people like to listen to music, read books or clear their mind through mindfulness meditation.
On the other hand, many of the crutches we often lean on in times of stress, like smoking, drinking alcohol and eating badly can make things worse.
The bottom line is that physical and mental health are often linked. Taking care of both your body and your mind will help you cope.
Find the positives
We tend to view change with fear, but often there’s a positive aspect even to something that seems like unwelcome news.
That doesn’t mean denying the negative and adopting a permanent smiley face. Dealing with change is a tough process and may involve going through a lot of pain.
Finding the positive simply means acknowledging that, amid the bad, there’s likely to be something good — even when it’s hard to find.
Try to understand the reasons behind any change – it’s far easier to accept and adopt to change if you know the rationale behind it, even if you still don’t agree with it.
Look for those positive aspects and focus on them.
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