Today I want to write about change. Years ago in a work-related training, we were shown four pictures of how people react to change. The first was someone smiling and happy, the second was a roller coaster, the third was someone struggling up a mountain, and the fourth was someone frowning under an umbrella.

I easily chose the image of the person frowning under an umbrella. I don’t like change, and even good change is hard for me. That’s likely from a combination of various aspects of my personality and life experiences.

Imagine my surprise when I was the only one of this group of 25 people that chose that image. I was also surprised at the number of people that chose the happy smiling image – they saw change as completely positive! When I shared that I chose the more negative image, I was given “advice” on how I could, and should, fix my mindset toward change. I guess they thought their suggestions could change my personality in that moment. No such luck.

However, it left me thinking (and I’m apparently still thinking about it). How can I make change less of a negative experience for me? I knew I wasn’t going to undo my innate characteristics and learn to love change, nor would I ever want to change in that way.

It was around this time that I was first learning about mindfulness. Just staying in the moment. That sounds so easy, but it is not. It takes a lot of practice to stay mindful and not let the past and future pull your mind away from the present. Mindfulness is something you need to do repeatedly through the day, but like anything else, it becomes a habit that you start doing without much thought.

Over time, I learned that staying mindful helped me manage both positive and negative change. A new job that I’m excited for but scared as heck about? Stay in the moment, ask a lot of questions, one day at a time. Grief and loss of multiple loved ones? Allow yourself to cry, wallow, and be with your feelings as they come. A new business so much unknown territory? Focus on what you need to do today. I’ll never be a huge fan of change, but I’ve learned to accept it and keep moving forward regardless.

Have you tried practicing mindfulness? Give it a shot: as often as possible, stay in the moment. While washing dishes, instead of rushing to get to your next task, just do the dishes, feeling the hot water and the soap. Instead of planning your day in the shower, take a shower – feel the shampoo in your hair, the soap on your skin, the water on your back. Instead of bringing your phone with you to the bathroom, just go to the bathroom!

Okay, well, maybe that’s just too much change right now!

How do you handle change? Where are you in those four images? I'd love to hear your thoughts!