Useful resources for employers
Listen to the podcast
Activities to try
Thriving in times of change
Have you ever heard anyone say, “I’m all for change as long as it doesn’t impact me!”? For some of us this neatly summarises our attitude towards change. Change can be beneficial, but many of us still like things to feel ‘normal’ and familiar.
The reality is that change is a constant and as we move through life, we all at some point, experience change, by choice and by necessity. We might not always feel happy about change, but there are ways to help you navigate it and even thrive as a result of it.
For some of us, change, and the pressure it brings, can significantly impact our mental and physical wellbeing, so learning new ways to manage our thoughts, feelings and emotions can help us deal with challenging times more effectively.
This topic will help you to understand more about how change can impact you and why change is sometimes difficult to handle. Take some time to listen to the podcast to help you understand more about change and how to deal with the feelings of uncertainty it can bring. There’s also a supporting toolkit to download along with a poster and digital banners to help your company share the activities/resources with your colleagues and signpost them to support.
Did you know?
- 72% of employees affected by change reported experiencing moderate to high levels of stress during and after change
- 62% of employees don’t like leaving their comfort zones
- 64% of employees say their employers were not honest about the changes they would face
Source: CPD online college ‘Managing change in the workplace’ 17 April 2023
Read the blog article
Many of us like things to remain the same. This consistency helps us to feel comfortable, relaxed and in control. When things change however, we can often feel stressed, unsettled and quite simply, scared.
So, why is this and what can we do about it?
Podcast: Changing the way we view change!
This 10 minute podcast is full of information to help you understand more about:
- The types of change we might experience
- Why we sometimes find change hard to handle
- The impact change can have on our mental and physical health
- Changing the way we view change
- Where to find additional support
Click here to download the resources mentioned in the podcast
Useful resources to use in your organisation
There’s a handy toolkit which includes exercises and handouts to help your employees thrive in times of change; as well as a poster and digital banners to use on your intranet and internal social media channels. Feel free to download and share, print and put them up, or email them to your employees.
Toolkit
This downloadable toolkit includes exercises and links to help support your employees and introduces simple tools and techniques to help them manage change effectively.
Poster
This poster will help to raise awareness with your employees about dealing with change. Feel free to download, print and put up or share it with everyone you work with via email.
Digital banners
You can use these digital banners to signpost employees to available resources. Use them on your own wellbeing hub, intranet or on your internal social media channels.
Activities to help you thrive in times of change
The seesaw of change
When we experience change, it’s easy to focus on the perceived negative aspects of the situation, imagining how much worse things are going to be. But is that the reality?
Quite often the reality is different. Whilst there has been change, the impact could be minimal, and in some cases things actually get better!
So, what can we do to avoid that initial worry? Taking a logical view of the impacts of the change can help. You can do this by splitting the impacts into 3 categories:
– What will be better (Positive)
– What will stay the same
– What will be worse (Negative)
Refer to ‘The seesaw of change’ worksheet in the toolkit to consider the three categories above, with the positives and negatives on either side, and stay the same in the middle. Which way is it going to tip? How far down will it go? Or will there be an overall balance?
Supporting employees through change
The Change Curve, often referred to as the Kubler-Ross curve, is a well-known model that depicts typical stages of responses to change that people go through. Understanding the model can be particularly useful if your organisation is going through a period of change.
It’s a completely natural process, driven by our brains, so people can’t help but go through the different stages. Being aware of the stages and how people move through them, is an important part of being able to support employees through Change Curve. Download the toolkit to try this activity with your teams.
Develop an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’
Being grateful for what we have, rather than wishing for what we don’t, is a simple but powerful tool to help us manage negative thinking.
When things change in our lives it can be easy to lose sight of all the constants that remain. Learning to recognise and value all the positive things you have in your life, helps us to manage our mood more effectively and encourages us to focus on positive thoughts and feelings.
So how do we develop an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’?
Take a moment to think of the things you value most in your life and which you are most grateful for. These are the things that give your life meaning and purpose. Why not download the toolkit and try this activity with your team too!
Useful links
All the videos and links to further information shared below, have been peer reviewed, continue to be free at the time of writing this campaign and can be used to read, learn and contact others in order to support you.
Dealing with change and uncertainty
https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/how-to-deal-with-change/
Get better at coping with change
https://www.verywellmind.com/5-tips-for-dealing-with-change-5205553
The ‘Attitude of Gratitude’
Managing stress and anxiety
https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/anxiety/
https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/stress/
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/stress/what-is-stress/
Other relevant Sovereign Rescource Hub topics
https://sovereignresourcehub.co.uk/vulnerability
https://sovereignresourcehub.co.uk/stand-up
Change is the ever present constant in our lives, but sometimes we all need a little help to find our feet when things are different. We have developed a simple pneumonic to help you THRIVE!
Take care of the controllables
Focus your energy on the things that you can control or influence. When you make things happen, you will feel much more positive about the situation
How do you feel?
Take time to think about how you are really feeling about the situation. Talk things through with a friend and try to identify what your emotional state is, and what specifically about the change might be causing this.
Realise what’s working
Look for the good things that are still present in your life despite the change. Practice an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’ for what you have and focus on these when things are tough.
Identify when you need help
Often we can feel very alone when we are coping with change, which only makes things worse. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help and support; this could be from your line manager, colleagues, friends or family.
Value routines
Routines and structures can help us to feel more in control and reduce worry. At the same time, finding and setting new routines can help to refocus your mindset – this could be as simple as finding time for a new hobby, or even a new regular bedtime routine.
Engage
Fighting change takes up energy and can be emotionally draining. Being part of the process takes away some of the uncertainty, so look for ways to understand more about what is happening and why. Knowledge is key!