“Change is Constant”

The therapist I had as a teenager used to remind me every session that “change is constant.” I wondered then why she thought this was so important for me to remember, but I find myself repeating those words often now. I was once terrified of change. I wanted everything to remain the same. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right? I was so anxious about changes in my life. Now, I look at change through a different lens.

When we experience significant changes in our lives we might be left feeling sad, lonely, angry, hurt, or some other way. Even positive changes in our lives can leave us feeling emotional. These emotions can be difficult to work through. When things stay the same for a long period of time we become comfortable, so naturally when change occurs we might become uncomfortable. 

How do we stop these big emotions and feelings of discomfort? The truth is maybe we can’t. Maybe we just have to let ourselves feel these things. We have to give ourselves grace. We must allow ourselves to take time to adjust to new things.

If we can’t stop the way change makes us feel, how can we handle it? Well, maybe we can’t stop these feelings, but we have to live with them. When we’re feeling big emotions and discomfort it is important for us to remember our coping skills and to lean on the people that love us. Our coping skills will help us handle those emotions in a healthy way. The people that care about us can provide support during what might be a difficult time. These are simple ways we can handle change.

Change is hard. The feelings that come with change are also hard. We can make it easier on ourselves by looking at change as an opportunity. It might be an opportunity for personal or professional growth, to try something new, or to experience something different. This mindset shift can help us see change in a more positive light. This positive mindset could make those emotions that come with change easier to deal with. 

For me personally, change can still be difficult and anxiety inducing. However, change becomes easier to manage when I use my coping skills, lean on my support system, and try to look at things in a positive way. I hope this post reminds you that it’s okay to give ourselves grace and that it’s okay to allow ourselves to truly feel our emotions. If you’re experiencing a change in your life right now, just know I am thinking of you and you are not alone.