_This article is written by Carolyn Kinghorn, Organisational Design and Development Consultant, Department for Business and Trade, UK. _

  • The problem: Navigating constant change and uncertainty in life and work can be challenging, especially within the civil service.
  • **Why it matters: **Understanding and coping with these changes are essential for personal and professional growth, resilience and wellbeing.
  • The solution: Employing strategies like time management, setting boundaries, self-kindness, mindfulness, social support and maintaining healthy habits can help individuals manage change effectively.

If there’s a constant in life, it's change! We’ve had so much in the United Kingdom over the last few years: a change of lifestyle through Covid-19, a change in constitution with the coronation of King Charles and now a change in Prime Minister and new Government.

So how does that impact us in the civil service? We’ve had our fair share of reshuffles of ministerial roles in the last 24 months and mergers across government departments, known as Machinery of Government (MOG) change.

The language around ‘machinery’ and organisations, almost like ‘machines and cogs in a wheel’, is interesting as we all know that organisations are not machines. Instead, they’re more like living organisms, filled with human beings and when one element of that organism changes, it has an impact on the rest.

A ‘one size fits all’ approach will never work. There are currently over 8 billion humans on the planet, and we all look, feel and behave differently with different emotions and our own personalities. Our needs are different at different times of our lives, we have change at work and at home with families and lives outside of the workplace with their own pressures, so how do we get through these challenges?

💬 Let the author know how you adapt to change by leaving a comment below

Resilience, tenacity, grit? These are all words that we hear, but what do they mean? The likelihood is that they will mean different things to different people. As humans going back to the cavemen era we were built for ‘flight or fight’ and our brains and emotions have never changed much since then — what works for one person may not for another, therefore we all need to understand ourselves. What works for you? What are your coping strategies? And if you don’t know how you react to change, how can you develop and grow as a person to build your own personal resilience and cope with life’s changes.

Our ‘comfort zones’ are our ‘go to’. We feel safe here and it's comfortable for us, but if we don’t step outside them how do we personally and professionally develop and grow as people? Stepping outside of our comfort zone can feel scary and uncomfortable. No one likes the unknown, and fear limits us. If we’re not changing or evolving or working through changes in life and work, how do we learn and develop and build our own resilience and tenacity? So, as we strive forwards, let’s make peace with fear, open up to new possibilities, give ourselves the freedom to step outside and build a new mindset and approach to life and work.

Learn what is our anchor to get us through the difficult moments, what grounds us, we can’t solve everything, but we can as a collective dip our toe into the unknown and grow our mindset to support ourselves. Some simple life coping strategies could include:

  • Time management: prioritise tasks and break them into manageable steps. Use tools that work for you, perhaps to-do lists, planners, calendars, to stay organised and reduce the feelings of being overwhelmed. What realistically can you achieve in a day, and which part of the day do you know you perform at your best — maybe now is the time to avoid meetings during those times?
  • Set boundaries: learn how to say no when necessary and set boundaries to protect your time and energy. It’s important to prioritise self-care.
  • Be kind to yourself!: sometimes our own expectations of ourselves are just too high! Take one good thing from each day and class it as a win, whether that’s professionally or personally. Challenge your own negative thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations. Encourage yourself and acknowledge your achievements, no matter how small.
  • Mindfulness and wellbeing: engage in a regular physical activity, you don’t need to run a marathon — unless you want to! Go for a walk outside at lunchtime, try yoga or any other form of exercise. Physical exercise helps release endorphins, which can increase your mood. Practise mindfulness and meditation to reduce anxiety. There are lots of apps that can guide you through meditation practices.
  • Social support: reach out to friends and family — talking about how you’re feeling with others can provide comfort and perspective. Engage in activities you enjoy, gardening, painting or playing music. Hobbies can provide a sense of accomplishment and joy — anyone who has tried growing fruit and vegetables would agree to this! There’s nothing more satisfying than watching something you plant grow and flourish — or perhaps a lesson to learn for the next time!
  • Sleep and healthy eating: sounds obvious right? But we all know that maintaining a balanced diet supports our bodies. Excessive caffeine, sugar, alcohol and junk food can negatively impact your mood and energy levels and leave us too sluggish to deal with the day or even the week ahead.

So as the future continues to change and evolve, are you going to give yourself the freedom to make peace with fear?
_ I’m inspired by James Baldwin, the writer and civil rights activist who said:_

__“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced”. __

Done reading? Make sure to share your own thoughts about life coping strategies that you think work best by leaving a comment below ⬇️

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