It’s normal to be fearful about changes at work, but don’t let it go too far. If you are busy thinking about unlikely scenarios about your job, you’re missing important information about what people are expecting of you, what you actually can do to learn and master the challenges of the new situation.

 Here are 9 tips for overcoming your fear of change at work:

1. Acknowledge the change.Recognizing and accepting change will be the first steps toward managing it.
2. Acknowledge your fears.When you are afraid of change, write down your fears on a piece of paper. Then go through each one and plan what you would do in case that fear came true. Knowing you have a backup plan can set you free from the emotional strain.
3. Accept your feelings and seek support.Expect and accept your feelings and reach out to others to share your experiences, reactions, and emotions. Talking with your colleagues, your partner, your friends will make you feel better and remind you that you’re not alone.
4. Designate “worry time.Worrying interferes with productivity, mood and morale—so don’t let it spill over into every crevice of your work day. If you’re worried about the changes, designate a time each day when you’re going to focus on those fears—preferably outside of the work day. But also use that time to overcome those fears.
5. Most of the concerns can be addressed and calmed through more communication. Remember, any gaps in communication get immediately filled by rumors and anxiety.
6. Stay positive.Your anxiety and fears largely result from how you view the change. To help yourself handle change think of past situations when you had to deal with it. Ask yourself questions about times you’ve successfully navigated change in the past. What was the situation?  What worked for you in how you handled it?
7. Know how transitions work and have realistic expectations.When you jump into a swimming pool it usually doesn’t feel good at first. Then a few minutes later (assuming we stay in) it feels better. Did someone warm up the pool? Or did we adjust? We have the capacity to adjust to change, but that takes time.
8. Be flexible. Approach change with an open attitude of learning. Even if you don’t like something new in the system, if you are flexible, people will want to work with you, and there’s a greater chance for change.
9. Keep working.Sometimes in reorganizations, it takes some time before the scope or even specifics of your job are clear. Do whatever you can, work will give you a sense of purpose and accomplishment, it will be your part of keeping morale up during the reorganization.

Vocabulary

Overcome changes — преодолевать изменения
Be fearful — бояться
Let smb/smth go far — позволить чему-либо зайти далеко
Unlikely scenarios — нежелательное развитие событий
Master the challenge — справиться с изменением
Recognize and accept changes — узнать и принять изменения
Acknowledge fears — признать страхи
Come true — сбыться
Backup plan — запасной вариант
Set you free — освободить
Emotional strain — эмоциональное напряжение
Seek support — искать поддержку
Designate time — определить время
Interfere productivity — мешать продуктивности
Spill over crevice — заливаться в щель
Address concerns — работать в проблемой
Gaps in communication — паузы в общении
Filled by rumours and anxiety — заполняться слухами и тревогой
Handle changes — работать с изменениями
Capacity to adjust — способность приспособиться
Open attitude of learning — желание познавать
Take time — занимать время
Sense of purpose and accomplishment — чувство целесообразности и успеха
Keep the morale up — поддерживание боевого духа