How to Overcome Fear of Change (Without Turning Your Whole Life Upside Down)
You’re standing at a crossroads, ready for your next chapter, but you just can’t take that step forward. You feel stuck. Frozen. The fear of change kicks in and suddenly you’re caught between two options: take the leap and risk “failure”, or stay exactly where you are and regret it later.
Step forward and risk failing or stay where you are and regret it later
These are the choices people usually bounce between, but no one seems to mention the third one: what if you take the leap and create a future that’s actually better than the one you’ve got?
Why do we forget that? Because we’re negative by nature. I’m joking! Although it can feel like that. It’s because we’re primed for survival, and survival depends on a sense of certainty. Staying where you are feels predictable, even if it isn’t really. The idea that your job could be swept up from right under your feet barely gets a second’s thought. Failure on the other hand, gets overtime!
The idea of taking a leap feels huge because change asks a lot from you. It means switching your brain on, learning new things, making decisions, choosing what you actually want. There’s a lot happening at once, and your brain prefers comfort, even when comfort is starting to feel a bit suffocating. So of course it says, “No thanks, I’m alright here.”
But if you’re reading this, then you’re not someone who wants to stay stuck. You’re restless. You know there’s something more for you - something different, something yours.
So the real question is: how do you move towards what you want without turning your life upside down?
1. Start with honesty (and keep it simple)
Fear of change gets ten times louder when you don’t fully understand what’s wrong in the first place.
Back in the day, I found myself “stuck”, “restless”, “frustrated”… but couldn’t immediately point to why. I was trying to solve a problem I didn’t really understand, so all my quick fixes were literally that - a quick fix that didn’t last.
A better way to address the problem would be to start here:
What feels off right now?
What am I no longer okay with?
What would make life feel lighter or easier?
These three honest questions keep things small and manageable. They’re easy to action and get you moving.
The thing is, when you don’t understand the problem you're trying to solve, it’s usually because it’s complex and multi-layered. Trying to figure it all out would not only stoke the fear fire, but it would most definitely keep you stuck.
2. Stop expecting yourself to have the answer
I was desperate for clarity. I wanted to know where I was heading, what I was going to do, what I would do if it didn’t work out; the answers never came.
Change rarely arrives wrapped up in a neat 10-step blueprint. If it did, we’d all be doing it. Change is like recovery after an ankle injury. Some people recover in 3 weeks with little support, others need 3 months with guided rehabilitation.
We are all different but the same thing we can all do is approach the first door. You don’t need to worry about what’s behind the door just yet. Just open the first door - what does that door ask you to give yourself permission to do?
One conversation
One boundary
One new habit
One afternoon exploring something that interests you
These small actions build proof:
“I can handle this. I can make choices. I can trust myself.”
Returning to the ankle injury - every step you take informs you how much weight your ankle is able to tolerate. The more steps you take, the more your confidence grows - it’s not about jumping from a great height, your ankle would surely break, but through tiny, almost unremarkable steps.
3. Reframe change from ‘risky’ to ‘aligned’
When life feels out of sync, it’s usually because your values and your daily reality aren’t matching up.
This often looks like:
Valuing freedom but feeling trapped in your routine
Valuing purpose but spending most days firefighting
Valuing connection but constantly over-giving to others
Valuing growth but staying where you’re “supposed” to be
When you reconnect with what matters to you, change stops feeling reckless.
It starts feeling right.
4. Expect fear but don’t give into it
Fear isn’t a sign you’re heading in the wrong direction. It’s a sign you’re heading somewhere unfamiliar.
A little fear means you’re stretching. A lot of fear usually means you’re imagining a catastrophe that isn’t actually happening.
Try this:
What’s the smallest version of this change that still moves me forward?
You don’t have to:
Quit the job
End the relationship
Move countries
You just have to take one step that’s truer for you than where you are right now.
5. Create safety, not chaos
You can change your life gradually. Slowly, thoughtfully, sensibly.
You can:
Explore new interests on the side
Start setting boundaries without telling anyone
Reduce what drains your energy
Build towards something new without announcing it
Adjust your week before you adjust your world
Make plans for the interim/transitional phase
Change doesn’t have to be disruptive.
It can be steady and kind. It can be well-paced and well-planned.
6. Let your next chapter unfold one choice at a time
Most people don’t turn their lives upside down to achieve the desired change, that’s far too chaotic! They realign their lives.
They start making decisions that honour who they are now, not who they were five years ago, not who other people expect them to be, not who they’re “supposed” to be.
The fear lessens and the path becomes clearer.
There is no huge epiphany…although that would be nice. Rather, they took small, aligned actions that gradually shaped a life that fit.
If you’re standing at a crossroads - hesitant, overthinking, scared of making the “wrong” move, remember this:
You don’t need to overhaul everything. You just need to start listening to yourself.
You don’t need anything dramatic - just honesty, choice and consistent action.
If you’re ready to stop overthinking and start moving, download your Permission Slip. It’s a simple, powerful guide to help you get honest about what’s not working, choose what you actually want, and take that first step without the drama.
Grab it here and give yourself permission to begin.
About Sabrina
Sabrina helps women at life’s crossroads who feel stuck and hesitant but eager for more. She helps them cut through the noise, untangle the overwhelm, and build the clarity and confidence to move forward with purpose.
Whether you’re unclear on what’s next or blocked from going after it, she blends deep mindset work with practical systems and structure to help her clients untangle what’s keeping them stuck so they can build momentum and bring their ideas to life.
A former charity professional turned movement and wellness entrepreneur, Sabrina draws on her background in fitness and physical therapy to bring a grounded, whole-person approach to transformation. She’s passionate about helping women stop overthinking, trust themselves, and take bold steps toward something that truly matters.
When she’s not coaching, she’s usually in the garden, hunting down great street food, or planning her next adventure.