Change can be daunting – and it can happen when we want it to or when we least expect it. But one thing that remains constant is that change is inevitable.
It can be difficult to accept change because it can force us outside of our comfort zone and make us uncomfortable. However, if we grab and embrace it, it can also be an opportunity for growth and a chance to embark on an exciting new journey.
So, if you’re struggling to navigate your way through a difficult transition, here are five tips that will hopefully help.
Keep an Open Mind
As you enter a new life chapter, it can be easy to spend a lot of time thinking about what might come next and trying to map it all out in your mind. And while some planning and preparation can be a helpful way to take steps towards your goals, it’s also a good idea to remain open-minded.
Often the way we think things will work out isn’t the way it ends up playing out – though this isn’t always a negative thing. In fact, some of the best things in life can happen when we least expect it! Try to go with the flow and remain open to new opportunities as they present themselves.
Take Some Time to Reflect
Change can offer us a fresh start, and you might like to think of this new chapter of your life as a blank canvas. You know how past chapters have looked, but you could make this one entirely different.
Perhaps you’ve always put others before yourself or you lost yourself in a long-term relationship, and now have the time and space to think about who you really are and what you want to get out of life. Or maybe you’ve always worn the same sort of clothes but want to reinvent yourself through style.
Even if you’re bored or unhappy, you can still get comfortable with your emotions and behaviours, and stop considering whether things could be any other way. So, ask yourself: what else is possible?
Focus on One Step at a Time
When we start a new job, end a long-term relationship, or go through any large transition, it can feel as though we’re at the bottom of a mountain, wondering how to start climbing. This is a completely normal part of adapting to change – though that doesn’t make it any less daunting.
Often, the most helpful thing you can do when it’s all getting too much is to focus on one step at a time. If you tell yourself that you just need to get through the next hour or day; concentrating only on the task at hand, you might surprise yourself at just how much you achieve and how capable you start to feel.
It can also be useful to break down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable ones and to prioritise them in terms of importance. You can then tick them off as you go, which will hopefully give you a greater sense of accomplishment.
Make a List of Things You’d Like to Do in This New Life Chapter
If your previous life chapters haven’t really been about you and your needs, try to make sure that, in this one, you’re the star of the show. Think big and believe that no matter how outlandish your goals seem, the bigger you dream, the bigger your results will be.
A vision board can be a powerful tool that can help with this – as you can display images and quotes on a board in an arrangement of your choosing and put it somewhere where you can look at it daily.
In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it sometimes isn’t long before our dreams end up falling by the wayside, and sometimes we just need a reminder of how our life could look if we take the steps to get there.
Picture a Positive Outcome
Visualisation is a tool used by many athletes to help them succeed and to put them in the right mindset before a race or an event. It’s believed that imagining the outcome you desire can help your mind and body learn and prepare for a situation before it happens – as well as allowing your brain to get a taste of what successfully completing this goal could feel like.
For example, if you imagine yourself going to a job interview and acing it, then this can help you to consider what that scenario looks like. Do you ace it because you’d read up on the company? Were dressed in an outfit that made you feel confident and powerful? Or because you’d prepared plenty of examples of how your skills and expertise are relevant to the job? Perhaps, you visualise all three! In which case, you can start taking steps to make these things happen.
Picturing a positive outcome can also help you feel calmer and more confident walking into situations and give you hope for the future.
As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
How do you embrace change? Have you been through any difficult transitions recently? Has an unexpected change led to a brighter future?
