Change and adjustment are two things that everyone must face at some point in their lives. A lot of people, including myself at times, can be uncomfortable with change. It is in and of itself something that is new, unexplored and unpredictable. You don’t know the definite result of it will bring, and that’s terrifying. Especially if you enjoy and are comfortable in the life you are living right now, change is very scary.
But, as I said, everyone goes through something they have to adjust to. The first step in becoming more comfortable and actually learning to love and find value in the adjustment is accepting it. Whether this is a realization about a new passion, about your identity, moving to a new place or anything of any magnitude that requires transitional time, accepting the change is crucial. Even if it’s something that you don’t want to happen or that you are scared of confronting, the denial is not going to help that inevitable change and stops it from becoming something positive and beautiful in your life.
To put this into context, the mental health changes that came along with my college transition were major and things that I needed to adjust to. I knew what I was feeling and knew that I had to do something to fix it, but I just kept pretending that everything would go back to how it was before and that I was totally fine—even though I was obviously not. This denial only elongated and enhanced the dark and negative thoughts that could have benefited a lot from me facing my problems earlier. Confronting the fact that I was facing some mental health issues led me to therapy, and developing a real passion for mental health awareness ultimately led me to act on that passion and hopefully help other people. Yes, the struggle is still real; but confronting the issue allowed me to find many useful mechanisms that now help me cope and have really transformed my life. Plus, something positive did come out of this life change as it gave me clarity on something I may want to pursue as a career, and it inspired me to start writing about mental health.
You really will be surprised when you let yourself fully accept the change, and alter your perspective on whatever adjustment or struggle you may be facing. There are inevitable, terrible things that happen in life that you will be forced to adjust to, but a perspective change can truly impact the way you experience this adjustment. This is rooted in the mindset of having no shame about who you are and what you are going through—because we are all human and nothing we go through is invalid. When you are open and honest about what you are struggling with deep down and quit denying its presence, it truly is an incomparable feeling of relief that opens up so much room for improvement and betterment of yourself. Yes, it reveals a new part of yourself that you may have to invest more time in, but it’s always a valuable investment.
There really is no way to completely avoid the crazy changes life may throw at you; so instead of dreading these changes that may interrupt your comfortable living, see them as exciting additions to your personal journey so that they may open up so many new opportunities for growth. Adjustment is scary, but it is also beautiful and enriching and inevitable. Your perspective and decision to confront the change is what will ultimately determine how you experience the change. Be honest, be open, be patient and try to find joy and excitement in adjustment; because no matter how bad you may think it is, there is always something positive you can gain from being true to yourself and to the world.