MINDFULNESS
EMBRACING CHANGE For centuries philosophers have waxed and waned about change; that it is the only constant, that it creates opportunity, that we must embrace it. And yet, we resist it with fervor, doing our very best to create consistency in our lives. This is because our brains are wired for stability, to desire homeostasis. 2020 has been one big damn exposure exercise in our ability to adapt and adjust to change.
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Change is a constant, that is a fundamental truth. The persistent, inevitable constant, whether we welcome it or not. The past several months of our existence have forced us as individuals and communities to reconcile the acceptance of change. COVID, job loss, working from home, children missing school friends, anxiety of essential work, and fear of going to the grocery store have become our daily lives. Protests, airing our grievances, confronting candid and uncomfortable conversations, unveiling unconscious biases, challenging history and revealing present oppression is a social change unfolding beautifully before our eyes. In the last issue, we explored being okay with not being okay; the goal was to acknowledge our ability to accept that which we cannot control. This requires more. Relief, at least in the short term, requires us to examine how to both problem solve and actively adjust to the new realities we face. We fear and resist change. We fear the unknown, the potential catastrophes, pain, responsibility, loss or exposure that may come with changes. We desire predictability. Our brains are wired this way, to desire consistency and assurance. So why do we fear change? That is a complex question. Simply put, our brains, specifically
an old part of our brain that helps us survive, called the amygdala, prefers stability and often interprets change as a threat. This helps us prepare for danger and risk, even when it isn’t there. That response is shaped and conditioned by the experiences in our lives. If changes brought pain or harm in the past, we tend to resist change more. And the opposite is true. Sometimes we catastrophize the unknown, meaning we distort the reality to expect the worst outcome. The whole “plan for the worst, hope for the best” mentality is a perfect example. Change can be a confusing concept, if we are really honest with ourselves. Every day of our lives is very different, yet we view them as consistent if the major areas of our lives are intact. We tend to only view change as an interference when our lives are upended or changed in ways that require us to shift our perspectives on our lives, ourselves or the world around us. The question we are challenged with is how effectively we can adapt to the change with which we are presented. I was faced with this prospect, reluctantly, with both anxiety and hope. I lost my long-term job a couple months back. I was forced to embrace the curveballs the universe pitched. I have to be honest; it is scary to hold so much fear and uncertainty about how you will support your family and maintain some semblance of financial security. Change. We are facing this reckoning as a culture and society. Many of us who can no longer tolerate oppression, bigotry, racism and brutality are demanding a change. Those who resist are fearful of what they may lose, the
