Sometimes, life throws incredible challenges and difficult changes our way. When our usual strategies for keeping life stable and predictable no longer work, we can find ourselves stressed, anxious, and even angry or depressed.
This Fall 2020, we may need a new perspective on change. Whether or not you have work stability, are alone in your apartment or have children at home, or are concerned about racial justice or the upcoming elections: life for all of us looks different than it did a year ago. Our work may be remote or riddled with new rules of engagement: with masks, distance, and hand-sanitizers. No more handshakes or friendly hug-greetings. For those of us who have school-age children, the upcoming academic year may be virtual, in-person, or some sort of hybrid that we cannot predict.
All of the change can feel overwhelming and riddled with anxiety. Even those who aren’t facing an imminent threat from the virus feel tense and on-guard. The changes themselves can trigger a stress response. But why do we find the changes so stressful, even if there isn’t a real threat of imminent and present danger?