One takeaway message from the past 12 months is that life is unpredictable and change is constant.  For so many of us, what we may have considered to be our normal routine has been ridden over roughshod by COVID-19.  In fact, even with the buoyancy brought about by recent developments, it still seems that the future is somewhat uncertain. Consequently, lots of us are feeling higher levels of stress and an elevated sense of unease, perhaps due to a combination of insecurity and a feeling of a lack of control. For young people, Covid-related change has only added to the usual transitions of moving to senior school, being taught by new teachers, moving house or studying a new subject. As I wrote last week, many of us struggle with change, especially when it occurs across multiple areas of our lives simultaneously, as it does at the moment!  If change is so constant, however, why do we sometimes struggle with it so much? Moshe Levey (2015), from a university in Jerusalem, asserts that the reason may be evolutionary.  Humans are ‘wired’ to stick to their routines because it is safer and poses less risk to our survival by subjecting us fewer to potential dangers. Levey also proffers that routines also take up less processing in our brain and use less energy.   So, when we have to change our daily habits, this can put a strain on our brain’s processing power, causing us to feel stressed.  Interesting, but, for me, there are other forces at work too. Even if Levey is at least partly correct, we can help our children cope with change by fostering their adaptability through developing their confidence in stepping out of their comfort zone, learning from others, adopting a positive mind-set, reflecting on past experiences, and seeking support. We’ll certainly be making the most of this period to both model these aptitudes and cultivate them in our children, whilst we also do all we can to minimise any anxiety they may feel. #AHPrepLearning #AHPrepTogether