Change Your Reaction, Change Your Life
Change.
It happens around us.
Every.
Day.
The tide ebbs and flows.
The weather changes from season to season.
Even the people in our lives.
What I’ve learned over the past couple of years is how you react to it.
But some change is good.
Change Can Be Scary
Change is one thing that’s certain when it comes to this game we call life.
Things never stay the same, whether it’s a positive change like a new relationship or a difficult one such as job loss, change can be frightening.
Pushing past the fear is something you can do, once you understand the reasons for it, how it can actually benefit you and ways to overcome it.
WHY am I scared of change?
I believe that the biggest reason we’re afraid of change is the fear of the unknown.
We feel safer in what we already know.
The unknown scares us for a lot of reasons.
One reason that this anxiousness is a protective measure.
See, our brains tell us that we can remain safe if we avoid what we don’t already know.
Another cause of this fear is the false belief that there is only ONE correct way, when in fact there are hundreds, even thousand of different options.
We need to tell our brains to zip it, because it won’t be disastrous if you make a “wrong choice”.
Don’t get hung up on perfectionism!
Self-doubt is another common reason that we avoid change.
You may think you’re not good or strong enough to get through whatever life is throwing at you.
That’s usually not the case, because you have, in fact made lots of adjustments in your life before now.
Benefits of Change
There are actually more benefits to change than not.
For one, the personal growth that times of change bring can be limitless.
You’ll learn so much about yourself and your capabilities during this time, along with gaining new skills.
Change also gives you the chance to examine your life and your core values.
It also leads to progress.
You can move forward and do better without things getting shaken up a little, but you’ll get more opportunities through these changes that you never would have had if you’d stayed the same.
And you’ll probably develop new personality traits like strength, resiliency and flexibility when you simply embrace change!
Once you begin to accept change instead of fighting it, you’ll find your world will open up a lot!
Getting Better at Dealing with Change
Change is happening at this very moment.
While change sounds daunting and negative, it’s important to learn to embrace it if you want to achieve more in life.
Embracing change provides you with the control you need to live a full and happier life.
Through every change in life, there is something valuable to learn.
These three tips will help you embrace and better cope with change to live a happier and stress-free life.
1.Take Time to Analyze the Changes
Allow yourself to pause for a minute so that you can recognize the changes.
Dealing with change doesn’t mean you ignore it or expect to embrace it right away or with a smile.
Feeling stress or sadness about what you once had is normal.
Taking the time to analyze it allows you to gain more control and find better tools and resources to get through it.
2.Focus on What You Can Control
Dwelling on what you should have done or what you wish would have happened doesn’t serve a purpose.
It just adds more stress, sadness, and confusion to your life.
Unfortunately, you don’t have control over everything in life, but that’s okay!
Change makes life beautiful and exciting.
Without it, you’d never get to experience things you truly love and admire.
I’ve always believed that without the bad days, we wouldn’t recognize and appreciate the good days.
3.Look for the Positive
Every change or difficult moment in life has a lesson to be learned.
As you analyze the change, find the lesson you need to learn.
Then, take time to reflect on your actions leading to this moment and find the positive.
Change opens you up to opportunities that can make your life more rewarding and successful.
Challenges are unavoidable in life. How you deal with them is what’s important.
By facing the tough times, you’ll gain a lot more than you ever expected and truly will become stronger.
Discover Your Strengths
With change comes adaptability.
We need to adapt in order to roll with the punches.
You’ll find that some of your greatest strengths come from figuring out how to handle the twist life has thrown your way.
Become More Feisty
A feisty person gets right back up when life knocks them down.
We usually have no choice but to keep going and not give up.
Change can truly show you your potential to bounce back.
Learn Something New
While it’s great to lean on your friends in times of trouble, there are also times that changes require you to learn something completely new to you.
Learning new skills or discovering unknown personality traits is almost always a blessing.
Instead of looking at a particular situation as a problem, it can help to view it as a learning opportunity.
Gain Self-Confidence
When you handle a big change like a boss, you can’t help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Discovering just how strong, resilient, smart, innovative and creative you can be brings with it a shot of feel-good like nothing else can!
Reinvent Your Life Through Changes
Sometimes change requires us to completely reinvent our lives.
Out with the old, in with the new.
There are just some life events that are so big that they will never leave you the same.
And that can be okay.
When something happens that causes you to do a complete 360 without your consent, it can leave you feeling powerless.
You can totally turn that feeling around by considering the ways you can adapt to this change and make it work to your advantage.
Maybe a job loss can be the catalyst you needed to learn about that industry you’ve been obsessed with for years.
Or a breakup will force you to reevaluate the types of relationships you’ve chosen until now.
Unexpected change is often the kick in the pants we actually needed to live a more authentic life.
Big Changes Are New Beginnings – Get Excited
We’ve already established what you’ve probably known your whole life.
It’s true that change is a fact of life.
We cannot escape it.
Sometimes we’re given a choice in whether to make a shift in our lives.
Sometimes we’re blindsided and forced to do things differently.
Either way, the change usually comes with some pretty intense emotions.
Unfortunately, these feelings tend to be negative ones.
Fear, anxiety, anger, resentment and loss are commonly associated with life transitions.
There are some ways to take those gloomy emotions and channel them into excitement instead.
Reframe It
One of the best ways to go from bad feelings to more useful ones is to reframe your thoughts surrounding the emotions.
The way you think has a heavy influence on the way you feel.
If you take some time to find a way to put a more positive spin on a situation, you will likely start to feel better about it.
Visualize Success
Take some quiet time to sit with your eyes closed and imagine the desired outcome of your current dilemma.
Picture the activities you will be doing, the sights and smells around you and the people involved.
The more detailed, the more effective your visualization session will be because seeing what you want is an effective way to trick your brain into believing it’s already occurred.
Meditate or Breathe
If you need a quick tranquil effect in times of high anxiety, meditation or focused breathing can help.
The simple act of sitting in silence and focusing on your breath is enough to calm emotions that are running high.
Consider the Alternative
Think about what will happen if you don’t change.
Change CAN be scary, but life would be boring and stagnant if we avoided growth.
If you don’t move forward, take risks or overcome obstacles, you’ll never know your true potential or reach your dreams.
“Get busy living or get busy dying.”
Red, Shawshank Redemption
Essentially, fear and excitement are very closely related emotions.
A few tweaks can take you from the negative to a more positive rather quickly.
It’s really all about your attitude and mindset.
Change Can Be Stressful – Find Time To Relax
You know that change can cause stress, even when something good has caused the disruption.
These are the times that your body and mind need self-care more than ever.
Just a short break for your favorite television show can rejuvenate you and help to slow down the negative effects of stress.
Give some of your favorite techniques a try and see just how much easier it is to deal with difficulties in times of upheaval.
It Will Get Easier
Major life changes, even the good ones, can be scary, the unknown always is.
We get into a routine and fall into our comfort zones.
Many of us like to stay there; but change is an inevitable part of life no matter what steps you take to keep it to a minimum.
So, it just makes sense to deal with and get used to change.
Celebrate Your Victories and Successes
I truly believe that celebrating our successes is overlooked.
We get so focused on the finish line and the big prize that we forget to pat ourselves on the back for the little wins that help us reach our goals.
Celebrating Wins Help You Gain Perspective
Recognizing small victories gives you perspective on how far you’ve come.
You can feel proud of your accomplishment while looking back on the success you’ve had so far.
If you just keep going without noting and celebrating your mini-wins, you’re more likely to get burnt out and to not even notice how well you’re doing.
It’s okay to not be okay with change.
Feel your feelings, vent to your bestie, indulge in that extra scoop of ice cream – do whatever helps you process.
But remember, you’re not alone in this roller coaster ride.
We all deal with change in our own unique ways, and there’s no shame in that.
The key is to find what works for you.
And hey, if you need a reminder, remember that even though change can be a pain, it can also lead to amazing things.
New opportunities, personal growth, maybe even that dream job or apartment.
So as my Dad always tells me: chin up!
Take a deep breath, and know that whatever change you’re facing, you’ve got this!
Now go on and conquer your (slightly less scary) future!
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