Fear of Change Within The Workplace

Let's face it, workplace changes can be fearful!

If you want to change jobs, you have the fear of timing everything just perfectly so no one learns about your plans before you're ready for them to know.

If you like your job but there are changes happening within your company and you're not sure how those changes are going to affect you, that can be fearful.

If you're happy with your chosen profession but some of your co-workers or employer are difficult to work with, you may dread going to work; creating fear about your future.

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If you find yourself out of work and you have a belief that you are overqualified, companies aren't hiring people your age, or you're having regrets that you didn't choose a different career path when you still had a job, that can be fearful.

Bottom line, changes that involve your career can be fearful, especially when when you believe those changes will negatively affect your livelihood.

We've all heard the phrase, "it's not personal, it's just business."  But when you're being forced into a work situation you don't feel ready for, it can feel pretty darn personal!

Every successful company must have a good business model that includes being able to change with the times.  But when companies experience mergers, acquisitions, cut-backs, downsizing, outsourcing or new management; it's difficult for employees to see the changes as something positive when they view these changes as having power over how they want to live their life.
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When changes occur within the workplace, you may quite easily feel yourself resisting the coming changes, especially if your identity is tied to your career, job or place of business.  If you feel you've given your very best to the company, any change that includes being let go, downsized or displaced can feel like an act of betrayal.  Most people avoid change because it requires them to step into unfamiliar territory.  Choosing to make certain changes in our life can be difficult, but when change is forced on you, it may be difficult to find an upside. 

Any type of change can tap into your fear based beliefs because it also taps into the perception that you are no longer in control of what happens to you.  Change can a fear that you have lost all autonomy about how you want to show up in your work life and your personal life.

When you're able to let go of your fear based beliefs about what "might" happen to you, you are then able to gain a new perspective about embracing change within the workplace, how to bend instead of resist, how to view change as opportunity instead of a threat and something to be embraced rather than feared.

Once you accept that your innermost thoughts are running your life and creating your resistance to change and that you actually have the power to let go of your resistance, you will be able to shift your perception of the changes taking place.  When you're able to recognize the power behind the very thoughts you're thinking and your resistance to change (the fear based perception of what you "believe" is going to happen) you can begin to recognize negative thoughts, feelings and beliefs before they gain power over you, so you can cut them off before they have a chance to take root or when you find yourself in a downward spiral of negativity.  

You have the power within you to let go of fear based thoughts about change in the workplace and to accept and embrace upcoming changes.  As you begin to understand that you have a choice; you can choose to be negatively impacted or positively impacted, you will realize that  choosing to be negatively impacted means you are working from a fear based belief.  Fear based beliefs convince you that the worst thing ever is happening to you.  The good news is, there is a yin for every yang so instead of choosing a fear based belief you also have the power to choose a faith based belief; a faith based belief will help you see the possibility for any change as a way to make room for a new opportunity in your life.

Your reaction to changes in the workplace, whether you react from fear or faith, is absolutely your choice.  Whatever reaction you choose to feed is exactly what you will manifest into your life.  
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If you're allowing fear based beliefs to determine how you perceive change, you will also create a resistance to any possible positive outcome.  Give yourself permission to stop resisting the change and instead, open your mind to the countless  opportunities you may not have considered had this change not occurred.  The Universe is always conspiring to bring us our greatest joy; all we need to do is be open to receiving the opportunity we are being given!

Nancy Mueller ~ Empowerment Sensei