Life is full of changes both negative and positive, and yet our brains tend to hold both in equal contempt. Even good changes, such as a job promotion, a new relationship, or a change of scenery, can lead to uncomfortable feelings of stress and confusion. However, there are psychological tools that can help you compartmentalize these feelings and accept the positive benefits of change. A Caring Approach is here to help you understand why change feels uncomfortable, and how you can learn to accept it.
How Loss Aversion Makes Change Feel Uncomfortable
The human brain resists changes, even positive ones, because it is hard-wired to form patterns and habits as a method of survival. When those habits are threatened with new and unknown events, the mind often unconsciously rejects the potential benefits. One of the most common causes of this discomfort is loss aversion, which describes the mind’s tendency to view potential losses as disproportionate to what could be gained. For example, if you earn a promotion that requires you to move, your brain’s loss aversion will cause you to focus more on the negatives (leaving your town and contacts, spending money to move, etc.) than the positives (furthering your career, increasing your income, getting to see new places, etc.) Unchecked, this loss-aversion mindset can lead to stagnation, where you choose the comfortable known over the valuable unknown. To move past these fears, you may need private therapy and professional support.
How Private Therapy Can Help You Accept Change
If loss aversion is causing you negative physical symptoms and challenging your capacity for growth, private therapy can help you get back to normal. Professional therapists can help you understand the causes of your mental discomfort and teach you cognitive tools to reshape your thought patterns. Common strategies to deal with loss aversion include:
- Finding a common grounding point between your present and future that you can use to mentally link the two together.
- Using positive reframing techniques to incentivize the positive aspects of change.
- Learning coping strategies to better accept the upcoming changes in your life.
By teaching you these tools and giving you someone to talk with, private therapy can help you move past the discomfort of loss aversion and allow you to comfortably pursue positive change and growth.
Get Effective Private Therapy with A Caring Approach
If you are looking for private therapy to help you rise above the discomfort of change, A Caring Approach can help. We provide individual counseling services to help clients develop the behavioral tools they need to maintain positive mental health in day-to-day life. In our private therapy sessions, we will work with you to develop customized treatment solutions to improve your mental wellness. Contact our therapists today at (703) 408-4965 to schedule a consultation.