Change is inevitable. While you can avoid, embrace, or chase change, you can not stop it. The COVID-19 pandemic changed how we function as a society, seemingly overnight. It affected our home lives, our jobs, and our social lives. Loved ones were lost, and people continue to fight for their lives. Nothing seems the same as it once was only a few months ago.
Though the changes of 2020 have been pervasive and tragic, we will continue to face changes big and small every day of our lives. So, here are a few things to remember to help you cope better with change.
It is okay to be stressed.
Both positive and negative change can cause stress. Whether you’ve received a promotion or have just been fired, you are bound to face some level of uncertainty about your future. Change can make us feel like powerless bystanders in our own lives. It creates a vulnerability that can lead us into one of two mindsets: doom or hope. If we tell ourselves we are doomed that can make us feel anxious and depressed. But if we allow change to bring us hope, we can grow and be optimistic about what is to come.
Stress, though instinctual, is not a necessary part of change. No one likes to feel stressed. So, it is important to recognize the first step in eliminating the stress accompanied by change, which is recognizing the reality of change. This means not only acknowledging change instead of denying it, but also keeping that change in perspective. So, remember to breathe and assess change clearly as it comes and goes.
You don’t have to go it alone.
It is okay to ask for help. There are many people out there able and willing to assist you in your ever-changing journey. And it is likely that some of them have experienced exactly what you are experiencing now. You may want to vent to others. Though venting can help relieve frustration, it can also breed frustration. So, it is important to steer conversations about the challenges of change into plans for action or hopeful acceptance.
There are also many resources online and in print that will give you specific ways on how to cope with the particular change you’re enduring. History can also give you a clearer picture of possible patterns and outcomes.
Don’t forget to sleep, eat, and exercise.
Eating healthy, sleeping well, and exercising regularly are all a part of creating a stable life that can withstand change. Change can overwhelm you so much that you can forget to properly care for your basic needs. That is why it is important to stick to some sort of schedule, especially during times of turbulence.
Schedules can also help you feel more control over your life. You can hold the power in deciding what you eat, how much sleep you get, and how fit you become. Overall, creating positive habits that improve your quality of life can reduce stress and create stability in a changing environment.
