Coping With Change
By Paige Bobak
Change is inevitable, there is no way around it, and may be one of the hardest things you encounter in life. We would love to provide healthy coping skills that will continuously provide positive relief for you!
Coping with change looks different for everyone- whether it be how long it takes, how you do it, who you do it with, etc… We want to make coping with change easier for YOU, and help you feel like you are not alone; because you aren’t. WE are here for YOU.
Change can (and probably will) affect all of the pillars of your life; for example, your eating, exercise, sleep, and social time. Here are some examples of healthy coping skills you can try to ease the stress and anxiety of change;
- Create some comfort: Determine what activities are stress relieving and enjoyable for you; whether it be listening to music, going to the gym, showering, drawing/coloring, sitting outside, taking a walk, meditating, playing with a pet, etc… Silence and sitting around are comfort’s worst enemies, so try your best to keep yourself busy with these healthy coping mechanisms!
- Reaching out for help: Many people who are experiencing troubling change are afraid to ask for help. But there is absolutely no shame in needing help! There are many people who are willing to help you, whether it be from a close friend, family member, therapist, etc… It is amazing what other people can do for you.
- Give yourself a break: In the midst of change, it can feel like your life is out of control. It can also feel like you are not living up to your expectations for yourself. There is nothing telling you you need to function at 100 percent all the time, or that you always need to be doing more than humanly possible. It is okay to give yourself a break, and slow down a little bit. Do something that makes you happy and laugh as much as possible.
- Keep up your regular schedule as much as possible: Because so much in your life is upside down when coping with change, it is important to keep some things the same. Having some sort of normalcy from your regular schedule can provide some much needed comfort. Having part of this schedule will give your brain a break, and can act as an anchor. It does not need to be a huge part of the day that stays the same; it can be something as little as walking your dog at the same time.
- Journal: It can be hard to organize your thoughts in your head. Journaling has been proven as an emotional outlet. It allows individuals to express and organize their emotions / thoughts. It provides a safe space, with no judgment, to unload anything. Keeping all of your thoughts in can increase stress and anxiety, and journaling acts as an outlet to relieve it.
- Reframe your thinking: During hard changes, it can be easy to look at the situation as negative. Change is less stressful when you have a contingency plan in place. Break the negative patterns by pinpointing what is contributing to them. Once you become aware of the negatives, you are better equipped to shift them to emphasize the positives.
- Identify your priorities: Transitions in life allow you to consider where your priorities lie. What is really important to you? With a clear sense of your values and goals for yourself / life, you will be more resilient when it comes to the stressors of change. You will lay out a path for where you aim to go in the future.
Making your mental and physical health a top priority in life is EXTREMELY important!
There are so many more ways to cope with change! You just need to find out which healthy coping mechanisms work best for YOU. We want you to know that just because someone else copes differently, does not mean your way is incorrect.
We hope that providing healthy ways to cope with change may help you on your Pathway To Joy.
We are happy you exist.