To survive - let alone enjoy - today’s tumultuous work world of downsizings, mergers and acquisitions, and warp speed market changes, you need to have a high tolerance for change. Although everyone has their own particular comfort level with change, anyone can improve theirs with a few simple practices.

Doing so not only makes life easier, it also helps you become more effective. Because your energy isn’t spent on “dealing with change,” you have more energy to spend on being creative and productive.

Here are four simple, but powerful, strategies to help you increase your comfort level with change:

1. Practice seeing the opportunity in every crisis. When you’re faced with a crisis, practice asking yourself “What is the hidden opportunity here?” Doing this accomplishes two things. First, because your attention shifts into a curious, riddle-solving mode, you shift into a more empowered, energized state - which is far more pleasant than being frightened and overwhelmed.
   
   Second, because you’re actively looking for an opportunity, you’re more likely to find one. One way to get started with this mind-set is to review some of the major changes in your life that, at the time, seemed like catastrophes, but with hindsight, were clearly great gifts.
   
2. Befriend the unknown and the unfamiliar. The more often you put yourself in new and unfamiliar situations, the more comfortable you will be with the unknown. Since fear of the unknown is one of the major reasons why people resist change, befriending the unknown makes change far easier.
   
   Actions you can take to befriend the unknown include traveling, going to new restaurants, and going on vacation without an itinerary. It can also be as simple as taking a class in a topic you know nothing about, or asking a casual acquaintance to get together for coffee. Regardless of the specific activity, the more you put yourself in new situations, and engage in activities you are not adept at, the more comfortable you will become with the most scary aspect of change - the unknown. In fact, as you become comfortable with the unknown, you begin to welcome the excitement it can bring.
   
3. Break free from routines. The more you live a life organized around routines, the more rigid you become. The more rigid you become, the more difficult change will be. By practicing flexibility with little things like when you eat dinner, when you go grocery shopping, or where you go on vacation, you increase your overall flexibility.
   
   This increased flexibility will make facing major changes far easier on you. To put this into action, pay attention to the routines - or ruts - you’ve gotten into, and think of how you can do them differently.
   
   Another simple, yet powerful action you can take is choosing spontaneity over a routine. For instance, if someone calls you at the last minute and asks you to go somewhere with them, and doing so would interfere with your routine, say “Yes.” Doing so will increase your flexibility.
   
4. Develop “Instant Perspective.” Most people have the experience of looking back years later at a difficult time, and either remembering it with amusement, seeing it as a gift, or realizing that in the scheme of things, it was a pretty minor event.
   
   Practice cultivating this perspective in the moment, while the situation is happening. When faced with a change that feels threatening - or any challenge for that matter - ask yourself “Will this be a big deal in five years? If not, do I want to make myself miserable about it now?”

Author: David Lee, President of Human Nature @ Work, www.humannature@work.com, info@HumanNatureAtWork.com.