When a project changes unexpectedly, stay calm by taking deep breaths and breaking the situation into manageable tasks. Communicate with your team for clarity, focus on what you can control, and set realistic goals. Practice self-care through breaks, healthy habits, and mindfulness. Reflect on past successes with change to stay motivated, and tackle challenges step by step.

Life often throws curveballs to test our resilience, and project shifts can also be viewed as doorways to unexpected excellence. Instead of seeing change as disruption, treat it as nature's way of preventing stagnation. These moments often birth our most creative solutions and strongest professional bonds – precisely because they push us beyond our comfort zones. When you emerge on the other side, you'll likely find you've not just adapted, but evolved.

Inititally, as a project manager, you need need to prepare your self and your team before starting the project for any changes can appear during the implementation and be ready with alternatives, resources and contingency to adapt. Secondly, you need to assess the real reason behind such changes, if it is the result of misplanning, market conditions, force majours...etc Finally, Act with such changes to close the project up and add such incidents to your RCSA sheet to be considered for upcoming projects

When this happens, I focus on staying calm and practical. I start by pausing to reset, then break the new direction into smaller, manageable steps to make the change feel less overwhelming. Communication is key—I collaborate with my team to align on priorities and brainstorm solutions, often uncovering new opportunities in the process. To stay grounded, I take short breaks to recharge and reflect on how this change could lead to growth. While unexpected shifts can be challenging, I see them as a chance to learn, adapt, and embrace a fresh start.