The Power of Tension in Creating Change

I often talk about feeling the “charge of a moment,” but there’s another concept that might resonate with folks in our day-to-day moments a bit more:

Tension.

In every moment of our lives, there exists some amount of tension – this is what creates movement and action.

There are no stories without the tension of conflict; there is no learning without the tension of not knowing; there is no innovation without the tension of new ideas, technologies, and concepts pushing at the existing status quo. Even in our smallest of moments, we navigate the constant tensions of what to eat, which words to speak aloud, who to see and for what, and where to go next.

Or at the elemental level, there is the constant tension of particles being pulled apart, gaining potential energy, and being pushed back together again.

The perpetual existence of tension, from the elemental level on up, is one of the universal truths we live within.

And so it raises a question for us: in both our inner work and our activism, how are we participating with and being present to the tension that exists?

In our activism, how are we responding to and leveraging tension in order to create change? Like pulling on a rubber band, in what moments are we being invited to increase tension so that movement occurs? And in our inner work, how are we noticing, naming, and metabolizing the tension we experience so we can respond and move in more intentional and impactful ways?

(Navigating this through story, practice, and solidarity work is one of the main purposes of the ​Gentle Change Collective​.)

Here are a couple examples of how this might look:

Boundary setting

When someone we know consistently oversteps boundaries, the tension we feel internally can be a signal for us.

Naming the tension we experience aloud (“I notice I feel uncomfortable when you make decisions for me”), and therefore increasing the relational tension, creates an opportunity for change and growth. This internal noticing of tension and external leveraging of tension can then lead to more honesty, respect, and understanding.

Organizational Change

When at work, voicing concerns and asking questions about established norms and processes often creates tension. Asking questions like “Why do we do things this way?” can lead to resistance and interpersonal discomfort, but can also create the conditions for meaningful shifts to happen.

Navigation of Emotions

When we check in with ourselves and ask questions like “What tension am I feeling right now?” it opens us up to feelings that might be simmering under the surface we might otherwise ignore.

Just as with a mindfulness practice or therapeutic work, turning toward underlying difficult emotions or internal conflicts (when safe to do so) can expose tension for us to work through and turn into necessary action, when needed.

In every space and in every moment, tension exists.

When we begin to notice and name its presence and many different textures, we become better able to make real, tangible change in our lives and in our communities.