How to embrace change for improved wellbeing
One of the only certainties in life is change. Yet, it is one of the things in life that can paralyze us.
Humans are somewhat habitual so when things start to shift and change it can make us feel overwhelmed, unsure, anxious and out of control.
Why? The unknown. What on earth will happen if I take a step into something I know little to nothing about? The fear of not being able to control the outcome can sometimes cause us to self-sabotage. Our egos actually kick in to protect us, so they make us think we might not be able to do something because we’ve never done it before.
One of two things often happen when we are faced with change:
We jump feet first and just go for it
We stall, freeze and swing backwards and forwards on the choice
For me I usually know what I want to do, but in the past I have doubted myself so greatly that I can talk myself so far away from what I know I want that I can’t remember if I wanted it at all in the first place. It's almost like being on a trapeze swinging over a valley between two mountains - going back and forth on choices continuously can leave us feeling in a state of anxiety, worried about what the future holds for us. Asking yourself should I stay where I am or leap and jump off the trapeze to the other side - anyone else been there?
What's important to remember is that life is a series of choices and we have made so many along the way but fail to remember that everything will be okay no matter what choice we go with because the beauty of change is that nothing has to stay still - once you make that leap out of where you are towards something new and for some reason it doesn’t feel right, you can always change it. The point you are at right now is because of a leap you made - a choice to move from A to B - we just have to decide.
But, how we can we start?
Accept where you are presently and fully so you can truly start moving yourself forward to you goal
Dig deep to get clear on what your gut is telling you - ground yourself, meditate, talk to someone who will listen - not just give you opinions
Get some space from your current situation
Start small – at a point of change in my life, I went on a short solo trip before committing to a bigger trip to Australia to know how it felt to travel solo again
Try not to change everything at once (unless that feels right) so you can get used to each new thing
Have supportive people around you
If you get overwhelmed ask yourself - is this a today problem or a tomorrow problem?
Breathe
Remember you know yourself better than anyone else
Work with a health coach to guide you on your journey
Embrace change and all the positive things it can contribute to your health, wellness and life!