Alexa, play The Longest Wave by Red Hot Chili Peppers. On a day to day basis, we ride the wave of life full of many twists and turns. We paddle out, eager to start the day on the right foot as we wait for that new wave to form out in the ocean. But as we sit on our surfboard, we may think to ourselves, “How well can I really handle change?”
The highs can make us feel like we’re on top of the world, but the lows may make us feel the worst moment to have ever happened in our lives. However, that’s the beauty behind how The Change Theory can impact each and every one of our lives in significantly unique ways.
This theory is primarily used in nursing school, where students are meant to adapt, modify, grow and succeed in an ever changing healthcare environment. The Change Theory plays a vital role in the profession to develop the mindset and the skills in order to embrace change, make informed decisions, and provide the highest quality of patient care.
“Wouldn’t anyone be able to apply The Change Theory to their life?” you may be thinking, but if you want the harsh truth; it’s not that simple.
Some of us may be prone to handling change in good ways, such as when you are attempting to bounce back from a breakup or you had a close relative pass away suddenly in your family. It can feel as if you’ve been sunken down to the bottom of the ocean with an anchor attached to your foot, unable to swim back up and catch air at the surface. But let’s get one thing straight; You are not alone.
Forgiving yourself for the coping mechanisms you adopted during challenging times is one of the first major milestones to create awareness and be willing to change. Adapting a healthy relationship with The Change Theory will allow you to manifest and generate new opportunities for yourself like never before.
Your psyche becomes altered for the better, your thoughts get enhanced by your coherent decision making skills and bottom line; you are ripped out of the plastic to a shiny, brand new version of yourself.
Now that you’ve learned about The Change Theory, as a surfer, you hold your head up high running into the water, paddling out without fear on your surfboard, waiting to catch that perfect wave to stand. To get out of hypothetical terms, let us show you how you can apply The Change Theory to your very own life.
The first step in the right direction is to unfreeze the mentality you currently have; to initiate, create awareness and ultimately prove to yourself you are able to change. Unfreezing involves acknowledging the need for change, challenging existing beliefs or practices, and fostering a mindset open to new ideas and approaches.
The second step is to create a Pros & Cons list as to how this may benefit or provide a learning lesson in your life you may have never thought you needed. This is your opportunity to explore alternatives and demonstrate the benefits of change to everyone involved.
To reduce the negative forces that resist change, brainstorming, modeling new approaches and coaching yourself to adapt to new habits may shake you up at first; but this will allow you to recognize the value of these proposed changes.
The third and final step in The Change Theory process is to refreeze; “What might this mean” you may be pondering. Refreezing aims to establish the change as the new norm, ensuring its sustainability over time. Tracking your progress, upholding dedication to this new lifestyle and setting the standard towards your goals will make you feel like a car coming out of a car wash; shiny, fresh and feeling as if you are brand new.
At the end of the day, humans are inevitable from being perfectionists and make mistakes from time to time. But watch The Change Theory make you shine into the best version of yourself.
Tweet us at @VALLEYmag on X with how you have implemented The Change Theory into your life!
