Embracing Change

by Nancy Hightower - September 22, 2022

Change is a normal part of life. Life doesn’t stay completely the same forever, after all. Change can be hard because it means the end of one thing and the beginning of another. Some common life changes are getting a new job, welcoming a new member to your family, changing to a diet prescribed by your doctor, going back to school, or moving. Any change is likely to come with mixed emotions, stress, and unpredictability. However, change can also be great if you decide to embrace it.

Mindset Matters 

Change can bring on feelings of doubt, fear, and loss. However, change can also bring about new opportunities to better yourself or try new things. Aim to see the change as an opportunity for better things to come. View new opportunities as adventures and setbacks as a reason to try something new. 

Stress Management 

Life changes can be stressful. There are new things to learn, old things to let go of, there may be financial expenses, and a million other overwhelming possibilities that come with life. We can’t predict change or the stress that can come with it, so we must learn how to handle it whenever it may come. 

Some tips to manage stress are:

1. Evaluate

What is causing the stress? Change, sure, but specifically what part of change is causing stress? Is there anything you can do about the source of stress? Is this something that is going to last, or will it pass soon? Is the source of stress in your control? If so, what can you do to help yourself alleviate the stressor? If you can control the stressor, what steps are needed to fix the issue? 

2. Change your reaction. 

Some things will always be out of our control. Instead of letting yourself get worked up about it, learn to accept things for what they are and channel the energy spent worrying into something more productive, like a creative outlet. 

3. Focus on yourself. 

We often tend to be very concerned by what other people are doing or what’s going on in the world around us. Instead of focusing on others, comparing your changing situations to the situations of those around you, focus inward on yourself. Put blinders on to the rest of the world and decide to make your own path and stick to it. There is no point in comparing yourself to others. There is no point in worrying about things that you have no control over. Instead, focus on what you do have control over: You. 

"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new." - Socrates