With a new year comes change and lately, I’ve experienced a lot of change. From shifting dynamics with loved ones, graduating from university to even starting a new job; these are changes we can all relate to. Yet, it’s up to us whether they have a positive or negative impact on us.
This year, my younger sister left home for university. We’ve lived together for most of our lives and I consider her my best friend and confidant. After she left, I thought I’d be an emotional mess but I found comfort in knowing she was making a better life for herself and that I was on the verge of a new chapter as well.
With friends, I found that we were growing apart and our mindset and lifestyles were not aligning. I could have reacted in a way that was not beneficial to my well-being but instead, I accepted the situation as it was and decided to let these friendships go.
What I’m trying to say is that change we have no control over doesn’t always have to be negative. We have the power to channel our thinking and make these changes work in our favour.
Looking at the bigger picture
l feel like we get so caught up in our day-to-day lives that we become overwhelmed by the tiniest inconveniences (guilty). We forget the bigger picture so when a big change does arrive, we don’t know how to deal with it.
Not knowing how to cope with changes in life can affect your emotional and physical well-being. When change occurs, we can either fight or flight (psychology gang, wassup?). You can either fight by pushing through those nerves and negative thoughts or take flight by running away and giving up. The latter is what we’re not going to do.
Why aren’t we able to cope with change?
There are many reasons as to why we aren’t able to cope well with changes in our lives. But with mental health issues being so integral to millenials, we’ll look at this more specifically. The anxiety that comes with change can be a big contributing factor. We avoid trying to change for the better or welcoming new possibilities because it can feel too overwhelming.
Author Neil Pasricha outlined in his book ‘You are awesome: how to navigate change, wrestle with failure and live an intentional life’, that social media may have an effect as to why many of us feel anxious, despite living in this golden era of technology.
Neil states that we have everything at our fingertips. From our mobile phones, we can order an uber or food straight to our doorsteps. With the click of a button, we have access to multiple streams of entertainment, like Netflix and Spotify, all in one place. Neil claims that although “we live like kings” we no longer possess the tools to deal with failure or “perceived failure”.
Much more, the comparison that comes along with social media doesn’t help either. However, to combat all of this, he suggests telling yourself a different story whenever you feel you’re unable to cope with an obstacle (and I couldn’t agree more).
Forming new lifestyle habits to welcome change
As human beings, we tend to panic and fixate on stressful situations. Yet, we need to remember that it’s not going to last forever. So, whatever it is that you need to do to achieve peace of mind and a positive perspective on a situation, do it!
Forming new lifestyle habits that can improve your emotional well-being would be a really good start. Whether that be seeing a mental health professional, exercising or opening up to friends and family. Those are just a few things you can adopt. So let’s welcome change with open arms and keep on top of life this 2020.
Find more self-improvement articles here >
2019 is the year to better yourself with these nine things
Written by Ruka Akorede
Illustrated by Francesca Mariama
