Human beings are hardwired to resist change. Don’t believe us? Try swapping the spoons and forks in your silverware drawer or switching around the keys on your keyboard. Change is difficult and uncomfortable. It can even prompt us to react physically—we might seize up, fidget, or start to sweat. If the change is large enough, as many are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we may become depressed or despondent.
WHY DO OUR BRAINS FIGHT SO FIERCELY AGAINST CHANGE?
Change avoidance represents lingering survival instincts we adopted eons ago. Our reptilian brain, composed of the basal ganglia and brainstem, governs our primitive drives and habits. Much of the time, this part of the brain operates on “autopilot,” so we scarcely have to think about everyday activities, such as peeling a banana or walking from the shower to the bedroom. In a world brimming with stimulation (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch), it is essential to let some of the “program” run in the background of our minds, governed by habit and our reptilian brains. Another reason we’re programmed to cling to the familiarity of habit is our innate aversion to risk. Our Stone Age ancestors lived in harsh environments, and one misstep could spell disaster. As Nigel Nicholson says in How Hardwired Is Human Behavior, “When you are living on the edge, to lose even a little would mean that your very existence was in jeopardy. Thus, it follows that ancient hunter-gatherers who had just enough food and shelter to survive weren’t big risk takers.” He goes on to say, “Indeed, any kind of change is risky when you are comfortable with the status quo.” SO, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR STATUS QUO— THE COMFORTABLE WORLD IN WHICH YOU OPERATE DAY IN, DAY OUT—IS BLASTED TO PIECES? Such an earth-shattering change might occur if you are ejected from your job or if your health takes a sudden turn for the worse. In fact, such change has occurred for the millions of people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As we write this article, the world today is vastly different than it was only a couple of months ago. Most states required everyone but essential workers to “shelter in place,” meaning that, suddenly, people had to adjust to working from home, caring for or homeschooling their children, or adjusting to an abrupt reduction in hours or, in some cases, a furlough. Routines are thrown off-kilter, and our comfort-craving reptilian brains are roaring in protest. IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, WE’VE BEEN REQUIRED TO CREATE NEW HABITS AND DEVELOP NEW ROUTINES. We know, in theory, we have to adjust, but it’s so damn difficult. Our brains feel threatened, and our fight or flight instinct, rooted deeply in the brain’s amygdala, is in high gear. How can we possibly win the battle against our change-resistant brains? How can we rewire our neurological pathways to accept and, eventually, embrace change? Whether you’re dealing with a new COVID-caused routine or simply trying to adjust to a new role or new company, change takes time and concerted effort.
WE SUGGEST STARTING WITH THREE EASY STEPS
Brain Resisting Change | 27
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