Covid 19 – Coaching Change

Covid 19 special – Coaching Change

The news has been a constant reminder that we are currently in a global pandemic, where staying at home and social distancing are the new normal. So how do we prepare for the end of lockdown and shift to the new, new normal when constant change like this does not come naturally to most of us?

The first thing to do is make sure you have all of your resources available, because we know the constant talk of coronavirus can be overwhelming and make us feel worried, anxious or stressed. It is OK to feel this way, however we know it can also lead to us not thinking clearly and our perception of reality deteriorating, so please take a quick look at our other blogs where we look at managing stress and building up resilience.

Having all the facts is another way we can minimise any negative effects the end of lockdown could have on us, so check your trusted news sources and look for the information you need to feel informed.

And finally, understanding the different stages of change will help you manage the process and stay in control, because this can help reduce any feelings of stress and empower you to lead this change.

But what is change?

Change is normally defined as a process or transition, to move from a state A (the current state) to a state B (the future state).

Most of us have learned to adapt to changes or challenges within our everyday lives, and will normally follow a similar process to register, understand and accept a change. However, because we had no choice when social distancing and stay home restrictions were imposed, most of us moved straight to acceptance.

The difference we now face by transitioning out of lockdown, is we now have more control over how we manage that change in what we can do and where we can go. But remember, lockdown is not being lifted overnight, this is just the first step towards a return to normal life. And some things may have changed forever, so it’s really important you know and understand all of the different stages of change:

• Denial – This is the first stage and is normally unconscious, so we don’t always recognize the clear signs and signals all around us. This can be because we fear we will lose control, support or access to something we need, but whatever the reason we must at some point take notice a change is coming.
• Resistance – This is the second stage and is our way of trying to stop the change happening now we have moved on from denial and acknowledged it. We will try to make implementing any changes difficult and this can lead to feelings of anger, or criticism and blame aimed at the people or organizations we feel are trying to make the changes we don’t want.
• Explorer – The third stage is where we have moved on from trying to stop the change and now want to find out exactly what it is and how it will impact us and the world around us. It can lead to alternative solutions being suggested or a step back into the resistance phase, however we would normally start to be excited by what we see. And because we now have a much better idea of exactly how big an impact this will have, we start to think about the change in a different more positive way.
• Acceptance – The final stage is where we now understand what the change is and are prepared for it to happen, so we can commit to it taking place. We may not always agree with what is happening, but have either exhausted all options to block or resist the change, or we now better understand the benefits it will bring or impact it will have.

But remember, change can be hard, so we hope this blog post will help you to better understand the different stages of change and will be useful when supporting friends and family, or any clients during this difficult time.

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