"When you have the support you need, change can go from being scary and overwhelming to being a space where you feel agency and freedom to shift your life into healthier, more personally aligned patterns. Honestly, change can be beautiful, and it can feel really good (even when there is a certain amount of discomfort that comes with the process). If you’d like to be supported to make powerful changes in your life that will support your overall well-being, relationships, and work, I'd be honored to be a change catalyst and supporter for you."
I wrote the above words and posted them on social media about 3 months ago without knowing how profoundly my life was going to change in the immediate future.
In light of all that, today's post is going to be inspired by the reality and inevitability of change. I want to offer you a gentle guide to navigating the twists and turns of life. While there's no one "right" (or "wrong") way to weather any given change, there are some basic principles that can serve as signposts when you find yourself a bit disoriented by life.
Change can feel scary! But when you're seen and supported in the path toward change and when you learn to engage the needed changes through gentle daily practices, then change can become a thing of beauty in your life. Just like it is in the rest of nature. |
Ready to dive in?
Here's #1:
Go back to the basics.
In the same way that the best athletes continue to drill the fundamental skills of their game, when you're in the middle of a big change, it's a great time to go back to the basics of life: eating, drinking water, and sleeping.
Change (even good, expected change!) takes a mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual toll. As simple as it sounds, one of the most important things you can do to be healthy as you navigate a turbulent season is to be intentional about getting the nutrition and rest you need to keep you going.
#2:
Ask yourself what you need.
It may sound crazy, but we can get so caught up in the swirly whirlwinds of a transition that we lose our inner bearings and move into survival mode or shutdown without even realizing it. Take a moment to pause at the beginning or end of each day--or even once a week--and ask: "What do I need/want most right now?" "What is most important for my well-being?" "What priorities would best serve me right now?"
#3:
Allow yourself (and those around you) to be imperfect.
Transitions are challenging, and as humans, we are finite. We have natural limitations. You won't always show up as your best self, and you might have to prioritize your choices and responsibilities differently. Some things might need to be back burner, and some things might go undone entirely for a little while. And that's okay. It's even possible that people you care about won't understand and may be upset at you. It happens. Be gentle with yourself. Allow it. (I've let some people down and dropped some balls in the last 2 months myself and had to give myself and everyone else grace in how we handled it.)
#4:
Let yourself feel whatever you feel.
If the change has you feeling excited, be excited. If you're feeling overwhelmed or numb, let yourself be in those in-between, muddy spaces. If you feel sadness or grief about some of the shifts that are occurring, let yourself grieve. If you feel angry or resentful because the change was unexpected or out of your control, make space to feel and process those feels.
In all likelihood, you'll feel all of these emotions and many others throughout the course of the transition. It's good and healthy to feel your feelings. Healing and growth happen through feeling.
#5:
Remind yourself that things won't always be this way.
When the chaos seems overwhelming and you're feeling stressed by the urgency of all the "to-dos," take a moment to remind yourself that this season will eventually give way to another season, and you'll be able to catch your breath and find new rhythms. You're going to be ok. You'll find your way.
These are 5 basic tips, but keeping them in mind as you navigate change can help soothe and smooth your way. They can also help you keep perspective and show up supportively for people around you who are going through transitions and guide you in being a good friend, coworker, family member, partner, etc.
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