Managing the Stress of Change at Work Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

FromTo  Job Security  Traditional approaches  Managers solving problems  Stable work environment  Systems and procedures  Narrow job description  Multiple career changes  Innovation  Input from all levels  Fast-paced, changing environment  Strategies and innovations  Flexible, multi-skilled jobs

 Denial  Resistance  Isolation  Sadness, Irritability, Anxiety & Detachment  Interpersonal Conflict & Communication Problems  Insecurity & Loss of Control Change may include the following responses:

 The changing workplace  Trends in today’s workplace  Impact of workplace changes  Change involves loss and opportunities  Reacting or responding

 The change itself is an external event…i.e. today I retired or today I got married  The transition is the internal process one goes through to adjust to the change  Transition involves many phases  People do not typically move in a linear fashion through each phase

“Who are you?" said the Caterpillar… “I-I hardly know, Sir, just at present,” Alice replied rather shyly, “at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.” Lewis Carroll Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

 Loss of the Known and Tried  Loss of Control  Loss of Structure  Loss of Future  Loss of Attachments  Loss of Turf  Loss of Meaning

 Promotes new ways of thinking  Breaks monotony  New opportunities  Allows best employees to shine  Personal growth  Flexibility  Promotes improvement  Reconsider life values

Within my control i.e. spending time with people I care about Outside of my control i.e. serious illness in family i.e. what to wear today i.e. traffic jam

Many stressors will overwhelm a scanty support system A strong support network provides strength during times of heavy stress

 Input  Support  Plan  Communication  Limitations  Self-care

 Take advantage of OPPORTUNITIES  Establish short term GOALS to minimize uncertainty and provide some level of control  TALK about what is happening

 What major changes am I coping with right now?  Where am I in the transition process?  What can I do to better manage change/stress?  What things are beyond my control, that I need to work on “letting go” of?  Where can I get the support I need to make these changes?

 Change involves loss  Change creates stress  Change provides opportunities  Changes can create or accentuate self-doubt  Most growth occurs during times of significant change  For some people, coping with change requires skills that they may not have  Don’t hesitate to seek our professional help if the stress becomes too difficult to handle

Elizabeth Robinson, Manager or call Ct toll free: