How To Be A Master Of Change With Brad Stulberg
”One small part of what I am trying to do with this book is update that expectancy, to help readers see how and why change is not something to be resisted but rather something to dance with, to participate in. To see that yes, stability is generally good, but that stability is almost always somewhere new – not back to order, but reorder.”
—Brad Stulberg
In his new book, Master of Change, Brad Stulberg explores the concept of allostasis as a new framework for understanding change. He argues that, unlike homeostasis, which emphasizes the importance of maintaining stability, allostasis recognizes that change is essential for long-term health and flourishing. Stulberg draws on personal experiences and scientific research to provide insights into how we can cultivate the ability to navigate change skillfully.
In the following interview, Stulberg discusses the key takeaways from his book and offers practical advice for dealing with change. He highlights the importance of rugged flexibility, routine, social support, and mindful action. He also emphasizes the role of core values in guiding our decisions during times of uncertainty.
Master of Change offers a practical and compassionate guide for developing this essential skill of befriending change.
5 Questions With Brad Sulberg
1. Change has been a constant throughout human evolution, yet it often remains challenging for us. Why do you think we, as a species, find change difficult, even when it has been a fundamental part of our history?
Homeostasis states that following a disorder event, healthy systems return to stability where they started: X to Y to X, order, disorder, order.
Allostasis states that following a disorder event, healthy systems return to stability somewhere new: X to Y to Z, order, disorder, reorder.
Homeostasis was the predominant way of considering change in the context of human health and flourishing for the last 170 years. Allostasis, however, is more recent and comes from the work of two scientists: Peter Sterling and Joseph Eyer, who coined the term after observing that long-term stability comes as a result of changing, at least to some extent.
Allostasis is also more accurate because the truth is you almost never get back to where you were—and when you try you often end up suffering. And while allostasis is becoming the predominant model for thinking about change in the research community, it’s not really been applied to laypeople with our everyday concerns. I think it should be, because it’s so helpful to think about stability not as something that is static but as a process. You'll almost always feel (and fare) better this way.
The etymology of these words tells the story. Homeostasis comes from the Latin root “homo” or “homoios” which means “same” and “stasis” which means “standing.” Roughly speaking, it means achieving stability by staying the same. Allostasis comes from the Latin root “allo” which means “variable” or “change” and then stasis which, again, means “standing.” It means achieving stability through change. It’s this beautiful double meaning – the way to be stable through change is by changing, at least to some extent. This is what rugged flexibility is all about
I think the innate resistance and challenge around the change, the trying to get back to where you were, is so deeply ingrained in our collective consciousness because for 170 years homeostasis was the guiding principle for human health and flourishing. Order, disorder, back to order.
One small part of what I am trying to do with this book is update that expectancy, to help readers see how and why change is not something to be resisted but rather something to dance with, to participate in. To see that yes, stability is generally good, but that stability is almost always somewhere new – not back to order, but reorder.
2. In your book, "Master of Change," you discuss various takeaways and insights from your personal experiences. Can you share some of the most significant lessons you've learned during your research that have had the biggest impact on your life?
The overarching lesson is this construct I've coined called rugged flexibility: To be rugged is to be tough, determined, and durable. To be flexible is to consciously respond to altered circumstances and conditions, to adapt and bend easily without breaking. Put them together and you get a gritty endurance, an anti-fragility that not only withstands change but thrives in its midst.
In my research and reporting on change and uncertainty, I constantly found a pattern: skilfully navigating change – be at the level of an individual, organization, community, or an even entire species – demands not ruggedness or flexibility, but ruggedness and flexibility. It’s an example of when non-dual thinking, or holding two competing ideas at the same time, is essential to understanding the world.
3. What are some of the most powerful tools or strategies you've found to navigate these periods of transition successfully?
Having some semblance of routine and normalcy in the parts of your life that you can control. When there are big changes (for example: the birth of a child, the loss of a loved one, a new job) it's helpful to simplify other areas of your life (where you can) so that you can just focus on showing up and using your energy to navigate the change. Another way to think of this is as "voluntary simplicity," a term I first heard used by the meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Also, reaching out to others for help. People often confuse resilience as being an individual attribute when the research shows perhaps the strongest predictor of resilience is someone's support network and their willingness to tap into it.
4. For those who are in the midst of change, what can we do to handle it?
In the midst of change and uncertainty, there is a wide gap between over-controlling on the one hand and sacrificing all agency on the other. In this gap is where taking productive and skillful action lies. The key to doing so is responding not reacting. Reacting is rash, hot, and instinctive. We often regret it. Responding is slow, deliberate, and discerning. Regardless of the outcome, we often sleep well at night when we respond instead of react.
This is true for smaller trivial challenges (e.g., unexpected traffic, the dog has diarrhea when you are rushing out the house, your slot to speak in a meeting goes away) or bigger challenges (economic shifts, health diagnoses, demotions). A useful framework for responding not reacting is the 4 P's (which differs from the 2 P's of reacting: panic and pummel ahead):
Pause -- to create space between stimulus and response, to take your brain out of its threat mode
Process -- what is happening and what it means
Plan -- gather a sense of your skills, capabilities, and resources and delineate what you can control from what you cannot
Proceed -- move forward, knowing you can adjust as you go.
5. Core values play a significant role in your book. Why are they important when dealing with change, and how can we identify core values to help guide us through transitions?
For all the things in life that you cannot control, there is at least one that you can: your core values.
Core values make up your fundamental beliefs and guiding principles; they are the attributes and qualities that matter to you most. A few example core values include: Authenticity, Presence, Health, Community, Spirituality, Relationships, Intellect, Creativity and so on.
During periods of relative stability, your core values act as an internal dashboard; they help you focus on the qualities that support you in feeling and doing your best. During periods of change and uncertainty, your core values help guide your next steps. When you feel the ground shaking beneath you, when you don't know your next move, you can ask yourself: How might I move in the direction of my core values? How might I protect them? Core values are portable. You can take them with you wherever you go. You can practice them in nearly all circumstances. Thus, they become a source of stability in your life, a rudder to steer you into the unknown.
To find out more about Brad and his work, go to his website www.bradstulberg.com and follow him on Instagram @Bradstulberg. To buy Master of Change, click the link below.
