British statesman, Benjamin Disraeli, said, “Change is inevitable, change is constant.”

There are many other wise men and women who basically said the same, just worded differently. We all know that they are right. Change is always there. There’s nothing that can change that. How do we deal with it then? Do we really have to deal with it? The simple answer is, “YES.”

Follow these steps:

1. Acknowledge the change

No matter what the kind of change it is, you have to acknowledge its existence. You can’t keep on fooling yourself that it’s not happening when it is right in front of you. How can you deal with something you do not acknowledge. Be aware of the change. Be sensitive to it.

2. Recognize how you instinctively react to it

Knowing that it exists, you must also acknowledge how it makes you feel. Do not invalidate your feelings. You have every right to feel what you are feeling.

3. Manage your reactions

The second step will help you manage your reactions well. While all our feelings are valid and that we are entitled to have these feelings, not all our reactions are valid. We should control how we react to the change. Our reactions should not cause hurt to someone else. We must be responsible for our actions. What we feel does not validate the wrong things we do just because it is a reaction. Ask yourself if you would really want to react that way and what are the consequences of that reaction.

4. Accept the change

By this time, you should be ready to accept the change. You have acknowledged it, recognized and managed your reactions, and now it’s time to accept it fully. Acceptance may be very difficult, but, it has to be done. You can take your time but you must not take too long a time. Be reasonable and push yourself to accept so you can get on with it.

5. Think of how it impacts you and how it will further affect you

Think of how this change impacts you at present and how it will further affect your life in the future. No matter how big or small this change is, recognize the difference it made in your life. Rationalize. Think of the possible consequences of this change. Think of the possibilities.

6. Do not overthink

While you have to be forward thinking, do not let the thoughts consume you. You must learn when to stop and rest your mind. That is because too much thinking will get you nowhere. In fact, overthinking was proven to make you ill and depressed. You have to give yourself a reasonable amount of time to rationalize, but you also have to stop thinking too much and start doing.

7. Ask for advice

After you have given the change, its effect, and its possible consequences much thought, it’s good you ask others what they think about it as well. Sometimes, we can be short-sighted or we may be looking at things with prejudice. It’s good to know what others think so we can have a fresh perspective to it. We can then compare which makes more sense. Remember to seek the advice of those people you can trust and with proven credibility and impartiality.

8. Set a goal

Now it’s time to set your own goal. Synthesize everything you’ve gathered- from yourself and from others. Know which direction you want to go to in response to the change. What do you want to do now? What are your short-term and long-term goals in light of the change?

9. Make a plan

Make a step by step plan on how to reach your goal. Make it as detailed as possible. Of course, it has to be realistic.

10. Stick to the plan

Now that you have a plan, you have to commit to that plan. You have to focus on reaching your goal.

If you want to survive, deal with change. Change always happens and if we don’t know how to cope, we will have great difficulty in trying to live through life. So how?