Summary: When I was in high school, my dad reenlisted in the Navy and we moved to New York where he was stationed while his ship was in dry-dock. <br> For a country boy from West Tennessee, New York was a culture shock. I remember being so afraid to speak because I didn’t want others making fun of my southern accent. <br> One day I was standing in front of grocery store in Brooklyn when a man stopped to ask me what time it was. I realized I was wearing a watch and he wasn’t. So I just held up the watch without saying a word and let him read the time.<br> With time I began to slowly adjust to my new environment and eventually enjoyed the change and new opportunities. But the changes weren’t over. During high school, as my dad’s ship changed ports, I attended school in three different states. Each move created its own set of new challenges and opportunities. <br> Over the years, I’ve learned to face transition and change with a sense of optimism. But no matter how upbeat I am, new experiences always present some level of stress or anxiety. When I began teaching, for instance, I was simply overwhelmed at times with the new tasks and responsibilities. But over time, I learned to not only survive but to thrive in the calling. I’ve faced the same emotions in school leadership.<br> Why You May Be So Stressed<br> Lately, I have been reading Britt Andreatta’s book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wired-Resist-Science-Driving-Success/dp/0997354739/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491272540&sr=8-1&keywords=wired+to+resist" target="_blank">Wired to Resist</a>, and I have been reminded why changes are so stressful. <br> Change in any work is inevitable. If we don’t change, we don’t grow. Andreatta’s studies show, however, our biological reactions to change by looking at the different cortexes of the human brain. Understanding how our brain works in change may help us be more patient with ourselves and others.<br> Parts of the Brain Affected by Change<br> 1. Fear Response:<br> The Amygdala is the part of our brain that reacts to change with flight or flight reaction. Even in organizational change, our amygdala kicks into gear when we are asked to do something new, innovative, or disruptive. Educators know that disequilibrium is a powerful force in creating learning opportunities. But as school leaders, we must keep in mind the difference between disruption and destruction. <br> People cannot operate or think clearly when they feel deeply threatened by change; however, when we guide, direct, coach, and anticipate change, we can help relieve some of the stress that naturally takes place when the amygdala floods the brain with danger alerts.<br> 2. Personal GPS:<br> The Entorhinal Cortex of the brain helps us navigate new settings, situations or changes. Sometimes people react new environments with curiosity while others may react with panic. It is important to understand that whether someone is optimistic or resistant, they still have an uphill climb mentally when they are facing a new change. <br> Think about the first time you worked in a new school or classroom. Until you figured out a place for everything and had organized that new environment for habitual use, you burned a lot of brain energy adjusting. <br> The same stress happens with any other changes: email upgrades, website changes for absence requests, curriculum mapping programs…any time we introduce anything new into the daily tasks of our team members or students, expect some resistance as the entorhinal cortex kicks in the navigate the changes, memorize patterns, and establish new habits.<br> 3. New Habits:<br> The Basal Ganglia is the third part of the brain cortex Andreatta describes. This is the part of the brain that helps us move from identifying new patterns to memorizing them and storing them into our brain as newly learned habits. The longer we practice an action, the more engrained it becomes in our muscle memory. <br>
