Tackling Stress That Comes With Change

Change is one of those things that is virtually impossible to escape. Some people are able to look change in the eye and take on whatever adventure it may bring, while others view change as something that is anxiety inducing. Whatever your perspective may be, one thing that remains consistent is the fact that enduring changes in your emotional, physical, mental or social life can be taxing on the mind and body, no matter how strong you may be. It is important to acknowledge how you process positive and negative changes in your world to better control your emotions, remain optimistic, and work on building yourself for a better tomorrow. You can start tackling changes in your life by: 

Giving Yourself Grace

Give yourself grace in trying to navigate these new changes as you meet them and explore how you may have to alter your daily schedule in this new world we live in. Allowing yourself to be forgiving and nurturing to yourself will minimize the amount of stress you will experience, and this will enable you to handle oncoming circumstances with more agility than before. Being hard or judgmental towards yourself will only make the process more difficult, and it is important that you are always rooting for yourself in any situation that you are in. You are only human, so embrace that! Taking days off are more than okay. Diving into whatever your version of self-care is for a whole day is more than okay. Loving yourself and allowing yourself the room to grow will alleviate much of the pressure that comes with whatever stress or anxiety you are facing.

Take the Time to Explore What Makes You Happy

It is important  to find out what activities help increase your overall happiness and find the time to incorporate something into each day. This will give every new day the opportunity to be a great one! You would be surprised what a small nugget of happiness per day will do for your mental health. Some people find this happiness in running or hiking, reading, or indulging in a whole pint of Cherry Garcia ice cream (a very solid, comfortable and highly recommended option in my humble opinion). I have had to face the changes and stress that come with being on campus during a pandemic, making and growing apart from friends, figuring out online classes, and more. Everyday has something that is stressful attached to it, but what makes every day bearable is the simple implementation of the things that make me happy into each day. Having that “thin in your day that makes you smile will impact you more than you think, and you deserve to have that pocket of peace in your day. 

Figure Out How to Be Proactive With Your Changes 

It is often said that the first step in fixing a problem is to admit that there is one in the first place, and this concept applies beautifully to change. Acknowledging that there is something in your life that is different is vital, as it keeps you honest with yourself and allows you to seek a solution to your issue rooted in honesty instead of denial. Once you have recognized that something is off, the next step is to think about how to be proactive with your changes. Are there any potential benefits from whatever is different in your life, such as learning a life lesson? Does this change promote any positive habits in your life? If and when you analyze how you can use your different and difficult situation to empower yourself, you no longer give the power to whatever stressor you have. In whatever way this looks to you, it is necessary that you are in control of the power behind your situation, so you can uplift and motivate yourself to have a better tomorrow.

• change
• self-care
• stress