“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

~Victor Frankl

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of change that seems to be constantly going on around us. If you ever doubt that, live in a house with 4 adolescent boys, as I do, and try and follow what is going on in their lives from day to day. I promise you, that the speed and magnitude with which things change will boggle your mind. On the same track though, we are presented with virtually endless amounts of change in our professional lives. Many of us have had several jobs in our careers, even if they are all within the same organization. Or we may have experienced a fundamental change in the organizational structure where we work so that we report to someone new and now have to adjust to the way this person manages. Regardless of the types of change we are talking about though, the important thing to bear in mind is not so much the change itself, but how we react to that change.

As you find yourself in situations of upheaval or change, whether good or bad, you will often find yourself becoming exceptionally stressed, tired, and unable to focus. The key is to find ways to mitigate the impact of the change on the other aspects of your life. Find things you enjoy doing, get away from the situation for a while, or work to discover the opportunities in the new environment. Whatever the case, for your own well-being (and as my wife will attest, for the betterment of those around you), focus on getting the lessons you can out of the change, and you are likely to be more successful in managing the stress and emotion that accompanies it.