There is comfort in the familiar. Even though there is so much in this world to do and explore, we are often at our most relaxed and most comfortable when we are in places or doing activities that we know and have experience with.
Being comfortable with the familiar also tends to come with a different emotion: feeling anxious when faced with change. Fear of change is extremely common, and what makes this fear even more interesting is that it can occur even when you’re not expecting it – even when you think you feel excited about something new.
How We Fear Change
Many of us fear change. But this can manifest itself in many different ways. For example:
- When faced with a new opportunity, such as a new job that pays better or a chance to move to a new city, we may feel afraid to take the chance because we’re fearful of what this change will bring.
- Many of us feel anxious after we’ve made a change. We may not even be able to understand why we feel anxious, but because we’re out of our comfort zones, we may feel as though that we are filled with fear that was not originally there.
- Sometimes, we’re faced with situations in which we are thrust into a world we do not understand – for example, after an unexpected breakup. We may then feel fear about what the future holds now that something we knew is now gone or different.
No matter how or why we feel change, one thing that we do know is that the fear of change can hold you back.
The Importance of Reducing the Fear of Change
There is nothing inherently wrong with being comfortable. You just have to make sure that that comfort is coming from a place of objective thinking. Far too often, people fear change even in situations when change would be good for them. Life is not meant to be stagnant. Rather, it is meant to flow in direction that have the potential to bring joy and enrichment.
When faced with the chance for positive change, it is important to control negative thoughts and learn to fight the feeling of fear. There are still situations where the familiar and comfortable are the right choice. But if you cannot look at the situation logically and objectively, then you risk preventing your own personal progress in ways that hurt the course of your life in the future. We encourage you to talk to one of our therapists if you’d like to learn techniques to control that fear of change. We have recently opened a third office in Roslyn Heights, NY, so if you’re near to that area you are welcome to come see our therapists and talk about your fears, struggles, and potential life changes.
