July 2024 | The Only Constant is Change

June 29, 2024

It was Aristotle that said there is no time without change. We recognize the seconds creeping by because the world around us is not static, it’s always taking new forms, and yet we can often struggle with change, especially when we didn’t seek it out. We’ve discussed previously that uncertainty can be a challenge to navigate, but what about when things change in a certain way that we have no control over, but we just don’t like the change? 

Over the course of our lives, many things will happen over which we have no control. We will undoubtedly experience loss and health concerns and in the face of both we will likely struggle with our lack of agency, feeling angry, frustrated, and sad. Those reactions are completely natural. The important thing to keep in mind is that we get to decide what happens next: will we allow our negative feelings to control the situation and keep us feeling bad, or will we find ways to improve our outlook?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, pronounced “act”) offer tools and techniques to help us manage life’s frustrating and disappointing times. By placing an emphasis on one’s values, CBT allows us to emphasize what has the most meaning for us, so that we can bring to the forefront the thoughts and behaviors that make our lives richer and happier. ACT helps us understand that life is composed of a range of emotions and experiences—some will feel good, some will feel bad, and while we cannot always choose what happens to us, we can make the commitment to ourselves to pursue the behaviors that we most value.