{"id":15720,"date":"2021-07-21T11:46:31","date_gmt":"2021-07-21T15:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/?p=15720"},"modified":"2025-12-18T09:37:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T14:37:37","slug":"coping-with-change-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/?p=15720","title":{"rendered":"Coping with Change at Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Written by Andrea Williams, Organization and Professional Development<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How are you feeling about work lately? Burned out? Frustrated? Apathetic? If so, you may be experiencing change fatigue, and you\u2019re certainly not alone. Changes at work can lead to feelings of confusion, anxiety, anger and helplessness. With the rapid rate of change right now, it\u2019s important to take time to gauge whether you\u2019re having feelings of change fatigue and learn skills to cope with, or perhaps, even embrace change as an opportunity to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Six Stages of Reaction to Change<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve likely heard of the five (or more) stages of grief commonly associated with loss. Did you know there are also typical stages of reaction we experience when confronted with change? Being aware of these tendencies better allows us to work through our reactions with intention and feel less overwhelmed and alone in this very normal process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Shock:<\/strong> Often experienced as feeling numb or as if you can\u2019t grasp what\u2019s happened. You may think or say things like, \u201cI need time to process this or make a decision,\u201d or \u201cI can\u2019t believe this is true.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Denial:<\/strong> You might try to deny the reality of the situation or continue as if nothing has happened. You could say things like, “It doesn’t make any difference.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Anger:<\/strong> You want to defend yourself against the change or resist it. Strong hostile or negative statements and behavior may occur during this stage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Passive Acceptance:<\/strong> Once you realize nothing can be done about the change \u2013 it’s happening regardless of how you feel \u2013 you begin to accept the change as a fact of life and simply get on with your work. You might start having the mindset of, “It’s out of my hands,” or “This is just the way things are.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Exploration:<\/strong> When you accept that change is inevitable, you may also start actively engaging with it, trying to learn more and generally becoming explorative and curious. Thoughts are more along the lines of, “I wonder what effect this will have,” or “Why is this being implemented?”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Challenge:<\/strong> Although its name implies this is the most difficult stage, this is actually the point at which you feel most empowered. You\u2019re willing to come to grips with the change and actively contribute to developing solutions and resolving difficulties. You may make useful suggestions, ask constructive questions and offer to contribute toward any new goals.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Escape vs. Active Coping<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Experts believe there are two general types of coping: escape coping and active coping. Which way have you been coping with recent changes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Escape coping<\/strong> involves changing your behavior to try to avoid thinking or feeling things that are uncomfortable. If you\u2019re experiencing change fatigue, you may be escape coping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Active coping<\/strong> allows you to tackle a problem head-on. This approach is healthier because you are addressing what\u2019s causing your negative feelings, rather than avoiding it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The ability to adapt to change \u2014 which typically goes along with active coping \u2014 is advantageous to your professional and personal life. One of the most important ways you can cope with change in the workplace in a healthy way is to simply acknowledge it. Recognizing and accepting change is one of the first steps toward managing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tips to Actively Cope with Change<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If you find yourself escape coping or feeling stuck in a stage of resistance or fatigue related to work changes, try the following approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Take a closer look at your response.<\/strong> Our reactions to change often reflect our interpretations \u2013 or \u201cstories\u201d \u2013 that we believe to be true. In reality, our stories are often subconscious and are not always accurate. What is your primary emotion when considering a change? Once you identify it, ask yourself, \u201cWhat do I believe to be true that\u2019s making me feel this way?\u201d This can help influence your perception of the change and better understand the stories driving your emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Help others.<\/strong> If you feel uncomfortable with a change in the workplace, there are likely other people feeling the same way. If you can take the focus away from your own situation and direct it toward someone else\u2019s, it can help you cope. Whether it\u2019s a check-in with a colleague via Teams or inviting someone in your office for a walk during your lunch break to discuss the situation, the act of helping others and communicating your thoughts and feelings will allow you to better deal with stress, feel less isolated and helpless, and adapt more quickly to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Embrace new opportunities.<\/strong> Change often translates to possibility for those who are willing to embrace it. Ask yourself, \u201cWhat are the opportunities with this change,\u201d and \u201cHow will these opportunities help me and others?\u201d Things may feel bleak when you don\u2019t agree with a change, but studies show having a positive outlook can open you up to new possibilities and be more receptive to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Whether we like it or not, change in the workplace is inevitable. Although sometimes disruptive and uncomfortable, there are clear benefits to change \u2014 the development of new skills, increased innovation, and new and better opportunities, to name a few. If you find yourself experiencing ongoing change fatigue or feelings of burnout you can\u2019t shake, there are many resources available to help, including the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)<\/a>, Health4U<\/a>, Organization and Professional Development website<\/a>, and the WorkLife Office<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sources:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Castrillon, Caroline (2020, February 26). How to Cope with Change in the Workplace. Retrieved July 13, 2021 from https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/carolinecastrillon\/2020\/02\/26\/how-to-cope-with-change-in-the-workplace\/?sh=4904dd38d207<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Skillsoft Ireland Limited. Organizations Change So Get Ready. Retrieved July 15, 2021 from https:\/\/elevateu.skillport.com\/skillportfe\/main.action?path=summary\/COURSES\/pd_31_a01_bs_enus<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Wiens, Kandi and Rowell, Darin (2018, December 31). How to Embrace Change Using Emotional Intelligence. Retrieved July 13, 2021 from https:\/\/hbr.org\/2018\/12\/how-to-embrace-change-using-emotional-intelligence<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Written by Andrea Williams, Organization and Professional Development How are you feeling about work lately? Burned out? Frustrated? Apathetic? If so, you may be experiencing change fatigue, and you\u2019re certainly not alone. Changes at work… Continue Reading… Coping with Change at Work<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":15721,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"__cvm_playback_settings":[],"__cvm_video_id":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0},"categories":[3,7],"tags":[606,413,169,389],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/coping-change-work-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1118&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb1fcA-45y","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15720"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15720"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15720\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19744,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15720\/revisions\/19744"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15720"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15720"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15720"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}