Do you feel anxious about change in your life? Do you worry about how to handle change? Well my friend, this blog and video is for you!
Change is one of those things that is inevitable in life, is it not? It could sometimes feel like an unwelcome visitor that turns up at the most inconvenient time. A big turbulent wave that comes crashing into your life, knocking out and making a mess of all the order and calm that you’ve spent time cultivating!
Well, if there’s one thing we know for sure, its that change is invevitable. It comes whether you like it or not. Living with a hidden disability can bring an additional layer of complexity when dealing with life transitions, right? You may find that your physical and emotional triggers kick in because of all the STRESS!!!!! Nice. Just what you needed!
Well, let’s not get frozen in fear and anxiety. Then you’re no use to anyone. Rather, let’s have a look at some strategies that I hope could give you a different perspective, and enable you to better navigate life transitions with grace.
Are you with me? Let’s dive straight in. I have 7 ways for you to consider.
1. Acknowledge and Accept Change
First get this out of the way and then you can begin to channel your energies wisely. Acknowledge and accept that this period of change is here. Change comes whether you like it or not. Change is a part of your life. Fighting it or bemoaning the timing of it, just takes up precious space and energy that you need for yourself to navigate the path forward.
Perspective can be your friend. Why not embrace this transition as an opportunity for growth, rather than a negative setback? It doesn’t have to be that way my friend.
2.Reflect on Your Strengths & Past Successes
You are already living with your hidden disability and I know that takes courage and determination everyday. Everyday you are doing your best and making decisions from a place of inner strength. That quiet, inner determination to keep moving forward. You are stronger than you think! Identify your personal strengths and how you have achieved successes in the past.
When you reflect on how you’ve gotten through challenges in the past, it can be a springboard for you to build more and more confidence in yourself in dealing with these transitions.
3. Set Realistic Goals
It’s always helpful to look at what you need to do in bite-size chunks. Just focusing on one step at a time. When you break down the transition into manageable steps, and just keeping the immediate next step as the next main thing, the transition can start to seem a bit less daunting. You’re making progress and that always makes us feel happy.
Remember there are tried and tested goal setting strategies already in existence. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Maybe on your personal development journey you’ve already come across a mentor or coach or teacher with helpful tips on completing goals. This isn’t what this blog is about today, but the point is to leverage these strategies for your specific transition. Things like taking each step of the goal that you have chunked down into small actions, the take those actions and put them directly into your diary or calendar, giving it timings of when you’re going to do it. This makes it all much more real and manageable.
4. Cultivate a Supportive Network
It is important to be able to connect with others who understand where you’re at and what your journey is. This can help to lighten your step and make it feel less like you’re all alone.
It may be that you could benefit from relevant support groups for encouragement and advice. Maybe you have understanding friends and family, or maybe you don’t. Not everyone in you vicinity, or within close proximity will necessarily be the people who understand you. So it may be that you need to give some careful thought to who you ‘choose’ to be in your corner.
5. Practice Self-Care and Mindfulness
You’re under all this pressure and so your body needs your support. Prioritise your physical and mental wellbeing. What are those routines that help you better manage stress? What can you give more of to your body so it has the space and gentle time to breathe and expand and just recharge and relax? A hot soak in the tub? Unhurried time at the sauna or steam room? Lying down flat on your back with arms and legs spaced out and just listening to gentle music or engaging the senses with some soothing incense or essential oils?
Whether its mindfulness or meditation, you want to look to practices that will make you feel grounded and reconnect to yourself. A sure way to offset the stress out there.
6. Stay Open To Learning and Adaptation
Be willing to learn new skills my friend! No need to feel overwhelmed, its just about making a decision to stay ‘open’ to your ability to learn. Sometimes it may be that you already have skills but you need to dust them down or adapt or tweak them a little bit to see you through this new transition.
Flexibility is your secret weapon! Think of all those trees that seem to be swaying in the ind of a storm. They bend and shake. They rarely break. This is you my friend. Being flexible is a super strength. you want to be able to bend, not break.
7. Celebrate Small Wins
You’re doing so well! So celebrate! Celebrating the small wins and the steps forward is going to add to your happiness and make you feel good!!! No matter how small. You are your biggest cheerleader after all, right? Only you know, deep down, just how challenging this has been, so celebrate every bit of progress you make.
These mini-triumphs will also give you more motivation to continue to move forward and to keep going.
I am excited for you and I look forward to hearing how you get on.
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