Why am I afraid of change?

Throughout life, we make multiple decisions that lead us to very different paths. After these decisions, which are not always easy to make, changes come. And then the fear of change appears.

Why are we afraid of changes? What happens inside us that a new reality scares us and paralyzes us? In this article We talk about 6 possible causes of this fear of change.

Why am I afraid of change?

Behind the fear of change there may be other, even deeper fears: fear of not being able to face the new reality or fear of not having the resources to be happy again. Other emotions also appear, such as sadness over the loss. or uncertainty.

If you want to understand what is happening to you and what could be the cause of your fear, we will tell you through 6 possible explanations. Each reality is a world, although behind the fears other fears of a diverse nature often coexist.

Not knowing how to manage new or different situations

One of the possible causes of fear of change is the fear of not knowing how to manage the new situation. In general, what we don’t know or don’t understand scares us.

When a change comes, it is accompanied by a new reality. If we feel that we do not have enough resources to deal with it adequately, we can feel afraid. Many times this is actually a lack of confidence in our own abilities.

involves some loss

Behind a change many times a situation of loss also hides. A new reality arrives because the previous one no longer worked or it was not what we really wanted.

This means facing a loss, whether of a loved one, of a city, of a couple due to a breakup, of a job, of a home… With the loss comes the beginning of mourning, a process that allows us to digest and integrate it and adapt to the new reality.

Fear of making mistakes

Another possible answer to the question of why I am afraid of change is the fear of making mistakes. A change, a new stage, involves a reorganization of one’s own reality or an adaptation to it.

This involves decisions that we do not know if they will be the “correct” ones. On the other hand, changes often come because we have made a certain decision; The fear that this decision was not ideal also appears here.

Resistance to letting go of another path

Making decisions that change our lives often involves letting go of other paths. This, obviously, is not always easy for us.

The resistance to letting go of those paths, those “it could have been another way” or those expectations of another reality, can explain why I am afraid of change. This is something natural. In addition, there are less flexible people for whom changes are more difficult.

Fear of being criticized or rejected

We may also be afraid of being criticized for having made a decision. Another fear may be that of feeling rejected on this new path we take and that our loved ones will not accept our decision.

This fear of rejection is also hidden, many times, behind the fear of change. But It is important to choose what we want in our life from our own decision. (which leads somewhere), and not from fear, which leads nowhere.

Feeling like we are not in control

Finally, another possible explanation for why we are afraid of change is the feeling of loss of control that often appears with it. A new, unknown reality arrives, which scares us and We have the feeling that we no longer control the situation.

In general, we like to feel that “we are masters of our own destiny” (even if it is a false illusion). Or at least, that we have some control. The feeling that things do not depend on us distresses us.

How to manage the fear of change?

There is no magic formula for this and it is clear that each reality is unique. But there are some ideas that can help you when addressing this new situation and this fear:

Prepare yourself mentally for the new situation and take some time to visualize it.Make it easy: ask yourself what you needon a material and emotional level. Trust your personal resources and your coping strategies.Begin to grieve the lossif it exists.Allow yourself to feel the fear; Don’t be afraid of her, she talks to him and tries to make sense of it. Focus on your new present.

And you, have you ever felt afraid of change? How have you managed it? Changes will come to our lives always and in different ways.

Therefore, it is important become aware of the fear we may feel and give it space. It is normal for changes to scare us, because sometimes they shake our reality, but try to find the meaning of that new reality and that path.

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