6 Tips for Overcoming Your Fear of Change at Work

Change is inevitable in the workplace, but most of us are terrified of it. It’s not the change itself that scares us, but the fear of the unknown. No matter whether you’re settled in your career or searching for new job openings, change is something that every employee deals with at some point or another. The good news is that you can conquer those fears and embrace these changes with open arms. Here are 6 tips to help you overcome your worries.

Accept the Change

Before you can overcome your fears, you need to acknowledge and accept the change. Once you recognize the change, you can take steps towards managing and overcoming your fears.

Acknowledge Your Fears

Acknowledging your fears is the first step to overcoming them. Create a list of what you’re afraid of, and then create a game plan for what you would do if the fear should come to pass. This defuses the “what ifs” that fuel your fears. Oftentimes, just knowing that you have a back-up plan is enough to calm your fears.

Look for Support

Now that you understand what your fears are and you know how you’ll react to these changes, you can accept your feelings and seek out support from your peers.

It’s perfectly natural to feel uncomfortable when you’re going through a transition in the workplace. Others have been in your shoes before and understand what you’re going through. Reach out to others, share your experiences and your emotions. Talking with others who have been down the same road will bring you comfort and help you remember that you’re not alone.

Set Aside Time to Work on Your Fears

No matter whether you’re trying to find jobs or worried about change in your current workplace, worry and anxiety can interfere with your productivity. Dwelling on these fears can throw your entire work day off track.

If you’re concerned about changes, set aside time in your day to work on these fears. Ideally, this time would be after work, so you can really focus on overcoming your fears.

Know How Transitions Work

The more you know about how the transition works, the better you’ll feel. Find out all you can about the change, so you know what to expect and how to better handle the situation. If a change in company policy has you worried, learn more about the changes to relieve your fears and figure out where to go from here.

Increase Your Value

Determine how valuable you are within the organization, and then make the effort to improve your value. Valuable employees often make it safely through changes and, in some cases, come out ahead.

Search for jobs in your field and find out what skills and traits competing organizations are looking for. Take the time to develop these skills and traits to improve your value within the organization.

Change is a part of life, and in the workplace, it’s inevitable. Learning to overcome your fears and accept these changes will make it easier to deal with transitions in the workplace.