The Anxiety of Change: Why Growth Feels So Uncomfortable (and How to Move Through It)

 

When Change Feels Like Anxiety

Change is one of those things we all say we want… until it shows up.
Then suddenly, the body tightens, the mind races, and a quiet panic begins to whisper:
What if this doesn’t work? What if I fail? What if I can’t handle what comes next?
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The anxiety of change is real, and it’s deeply human.

Why Change Triggers Anxiety

Our brains are wired for safety, not growth. Even when we know something isn’t working anymore, a job, a relationship, a mindset—there’s comfort in the familiar.
It’s predictable. It’s known.

When we take steps toward something new, even something better, our nervous system sounds the alarm. It doesn’t understand that change can lead to freedom, purpose, and peace. It only sees danger in the unknown.

That’s why even positive changes, like starting a new routine, leaving an unfulfilling job, or setting boundaries, can feel terrifying.

What’s Really Happening Inside

Anxiety during change isn’t a sign that you’re weak or that you’re on the wrong path. It’s a signal.

It’s your inner protector trying to keep you safe.
It’s your body saying, “This feels unfamiliar, please slow down and reassure me.”

When you pause and listen instead of pushing the anxiety away, you create space to understand what’s really beneath it.
Sometimes it’s fear of losing control.
Sometimes it’s fear of judgment.
And sometimes it’s the quiet ache of stepping into a version of yourself you’ve never allowed before.

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How to Work with the Anxiety, Not Against It

• Acknowledge It
  Name what’s happening: “This is my nervous system reacting to change. I’m safe.”
  Awareness helps calm your body’s stress response.

• Breathe and Ground
  When your thoughts start to spiral, come back to your breath. Feel your feet on the floor.
  Grounding reconnects you to the present moment, the only place real peace exists.

• Find Safety in Small Steps
  Big leaps feel overwhelming; small steps feel doable.
  Build safety in motion. Each action, each brave choice, teaches your body that change doesn’t equal danger.

• Reflect on What You’re Gaining
  Change often requires loss: of old habits, roles, or identities.
  But it also opens space for something new.
  Journaling prompt: What am I making space for by saying yes to this change?

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Your Growth Isn’t Supposed to Feel Comfortable

I’ve walked through seasons where change felt like being cracked wide open.
When I chose sobriety, I didn’t just give up alcohol, I gave up the false sense of control it gave me. I had to sit with feelings I’d avoided for years. It was raw, messy, and uncomfortable.
But that discomfort was where I started to heal.

Later, when I opened my own business, I felt that same familiar anxiety rise up.
Even though I knew it was the right path, I still caught myself wondering, who am I to do this? What if I fail? What if people don’t understand what I’m trying to create?
But I did it anyway. I took one shaky step after another.

Each time I’ve stepped into something new, whether it was healing my relationship with myself, leaving behind an old version of me, or saying yes to opportunities that scared me—I learned that growth rarely feels safe at first.

Change strips away the parts of us that were built for survival and makes room for the parts that are meant to thrive.
And that process? It’s never comfortable.
But it’s always worth it.

The discomfort is temporary, the peace that follows is lasting.

Change isn’t about becoming someone different; it’s about remembering who you’ve always been underneath the fear, the coping, and the conditioning.
It’s about reclaiming your truth.

So, if you’re standing at the edge of something new, heart racing and palms sweaty, know this: that’s not a sign you’re failing, it’s a sign you’re growing.

Take a deep breath.
You don’t have to have it all figured out; you just have to begin.

If you’re moving through a season of change and the anxiety feels heavy, know that you don’t have to do it alone. This is the kind of deep, heart-centered work I love guiding my clients through—learning to trust themselves again, to build peace from within, and to create the life that feels like them.

Your story isn’t over, it’s just unfolding. 
And I’d be honored to help you walk through the next chapter.

 Schedule a Free 30-Minute Consultation

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Journaling Prompts for Reflection

• What change am I resisting right now, and why?

• What does my anxiety want me to know?

• What’s one small step I can take today to show myself I’m safe in change?