A lot has changed in our lives over the past year. We’ve changed the way we dress (hello, face masks), the way we work, the way we parent, the way we interact with loved ones, the way we interact with strangers, what we do for fun. As we head into a new year, it’s a good time to talk about how we can more readily and comfortably accept change.
Change can be frightening. Often, we will resist it. Our instinct to continue on the same path is strong even when it’s making us unhappy or unhealthy. For example, you stay in a bad relationship or continue in a career you hate long after the first red flags screaming at you to “get out!” first appear. In behavioral economics, this is known as the “sunk cost fallacy.” You continue to invest in something because of how much you already invested. You think to yourself, “I’ve already put two years into this relationship. If I get out now, those two years will have been a waste.”