How to navigate periods of change - 7 ways to reduce stress and invite positive transformation!
Hello Everyone,
I hope you are all well and enjoying the vibrant, and colourful month of July. Summer is finally here! School is out and we’ve had weeks of high temperatures and long warm evenings. I’ve been enjoying one of my favourite outdoor summer pastimes: lake swimming. The water is the perfect antidote to the intense heat of the sun, and is one of the most calming self care tools in my wellness toolbox. I love it! If you want to experience some of this calming energy for yourself, try my Guided Meditation to Calm and Centre, written from my experience of wild lake swimming. It’s here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mzB0uusy-jk and here on Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/jillsinnott/guided-meditations/guided-meditation-to-calm-and-centre
Today I want to take a look at periods of change; how to navigate them, and ways to reduce stress during times of change, to invite positive transformation. Nothing is more certain in life than change, yet it proves to be a challenge for most of us. Whether it’s the uncertainty associated with change, being out of our usual routine, or just fear of the unknown, periods of change can be stressful. So, as my family and I navigate some changes on the horizon, I thought now would be a great time to share some of the tools, ideas and practices I have been using (and sharing with my family members), to ease stress during this time, and invite positive transformation into all our lives through the changes we are experiencing.
Humans are creatures of habit. As a species, we enjoy stability and routine, and we find comfort in the safety which is at the heart of a solid, predictable routine. Of course, there are many people who also thrive in an environment founded in change, and find routine to be tedious and boring. Perhaps, the optimal situation for many is a good routine, embellished with various out of habit opportunities per year. As with all things in life, balance is key. Wherever you fall on this spectrum, the chances are that at times, you struggle with change.
Change has been categorised by experts into four stages. I’m not really a stages type of person; I prefer to be more fluid in my approach, and endeavour to live in the moment as often as I can. However, I think there is some value in at least recognising the pattern that change can follow, and use it as a loose guide line, if that helps you.
Life as usual, as you know it on a daily basis.
Disruption of the status quo of this normal way of living by an inner or outer force
Adjustment and uncertainty for a period of time.
A new normal settles in.
The third stage is where the challenges often lie. As humans, this time of adjustment and transition is out of our usual routine, and having self compassion while we face the very normal resistance that can occur during a transitional period, is a great way to approach this. Losing the status quo for a time may not seem like a perfect time for transformation, but in my experience, it absolutely is!
So, here are 7 ideas that I am currently working with to navigate change in a healthy way, and promote elements of transformation along the way:
Resist resisting.
Being resistant to anything uses a lot of emotional energy; energy that might be more successfully used in a positive way to work on acceptance. Research shows that people who are more readily accepting of change being a part of life, instead of yearning for the past, are able to adjust more quickly and easily to new situations. So being open to actively working to accept what is changing, having a positive mindset surrounding it and looking ahead with optimism, reduces resistance and opens the door for a positive experience.
Embrace the new.
Similar to resistance, working to embrace a change and the opportunities it may bring, energetically creates greater positivity surrounding the situation. Actively moving in the direction that the change in your life is presenting, whether that’s a career move, a house move, a relationship change or any other change in your life, and embracing it with an openness to experience new and interesting situations, creates feelings of balance in a time when some unknowns are present.
Embracing an openness to experience new and interesting situations, creates feelings of balance in a time when some unknowns are present.
Create routine, even when you are out of routine.
Humans are creatures of habit and routine is key to feeling safe and secure for many of us. Periods of change or transition disrupt our routine, and in the midst of this short term disturbance to daily life, creating a basic schedule can bring comfort and an element of consistency. The best place to start with creating a routine, when you are essentially out of your normal routine, is with self care. Regular exercise is a fundamental element of self care, and that can be anything you enjoy from taking a walk at a similar time each day, to finding a yoga class, dropping in at a gym or pool, or simply turning your music up loud and enjoying a dance party in your kitchen every day! If you are looking for a place to start, check out my blog post about how to incorporate a yoga practice into your daily routine as a beginner practitioner: https://www.sacrednorthyoga.com/the-be-well-blog/yoga-for-beginners-how-to-start-a-yoga-practice-or-develop-a-home-practice-that-will-change-your-lifenbsp
If you are looking for more inspiration, watch this restorative yoga practice video on my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/GMOqvB5_yOM . Restorative yoga provides a grounding and calming energy to both mind and body, and is an excellent practice to incorporate into your routine.
The key to stability at this time is through the routine that you are creating. Eating well and creating established meal times is another great way to care for yourself, create routine and feel your best when in times of transition. Finding time to establish a mini schedule that supports your daily self care habits is a wonderful way to combat the stress involved with change. The habits and routine will ground you and provide some normalcy in your life, when things around you are not quite settled into a new normal just yet.
Create routine with fundamental self care practices.
Gratitude
When it comes to challenges in life, mindset plays a huge part in how successfully we cope. Cultivating a growth mindset is an ongoing task for many of us, and a gratitude practice is one habit which greatly supports this. Having a growth mindset, versus a fixed mindset, means that we believe that our abilities can be learned and developed through practice, that we can acquire skills and knowledge and continue to work to become skilled at whatever we chose in life. This mindset is advantageous to our mental and emotionally stability in so many ways, and when change is upon us, a growth mindset really comes in to its own. So, how can gratitude help? By expressing gratitude regularly, with either a journalling practice, or a conscious appreciation of what we already have, we are reinforcing to ourselves how far we have already come, how much we can do, and how our efforts have led to skills and abilities both past and present. All of this is so helpful when navigating change. So choose a gratitude practice that works for you, whether that’s journalling or listing 3 things at the end of the day that you are grateful for, sharing around the dinner table in the evening with your family, or making a mental note of small events that happening throughout your day. Cultivating gratitude and a growth mindset will definitely support you at this time of change.
Carving out five minutes a day to express gratitude is a wonderful way to reinforce your trust with the unknown.
Lower expectations.
This is a big one! We often have such high expectations of ourselves and how a situation “should” play out. But in times of change and transition, lowering those expectations is a wonderful way to take some pressure off, and just allow things to settle at a pace which is reasonable. Obviously, this may present as a challenge, especially for those who find releasing control a little tricky! However, cultivating ways to release control in some areas, and finding strategies to experience life at a slightly slower pace, with less attachment to outcomes, is definitely beneficial in the short term. Being content with small wins, and being open to releasing perfection at this time will certainly allow life flow to with greater ease.
Stay connected.
Feeling isolated is not a good foundation for smooth transitions or change. So staying connected with old friends, family members, and things that bring you joy is essential in times of change. Enjoying meaningful connection with the people you trust in your life, and creating new opportunities and making new friends at a pace which suits your personality, is a fundamental pillar for well-being. Transition doesn’t have to mean isolation, so make sure to stay connected with people, a sense of community and the things in life that light you up.
Trust.
Another big one! In moments of difficulty and challenge, trusting that things will work out, and bringing thought to previous challenges in life that did indeed work out in the end, is a wonderful practice to adopt. Using a mantra such as: “I invite ease and trust into my day” is a great place to start. Being open to the idea that life and the Universe are working for you, not against you, is also really supportive at this time. Trust that everything that is evolving is for your highest good. A practice of raising your vibration is an excellent place to invite a foundation of trust into your life, and combat feelings of resistance to change. If this concept interests you, check out this blog post: https://www.sacrednorthyoga.com/the-be-well-blog/how-to-raise-your-vibration-7-powerful-ways-to-feel-lighter-happier-and-attractnbsp-more-of-what-you-want-into-your-life .
Trust that everything that is evolving is for your highest good.
Change can present challenges, but if we learn to embrace it with a growth mindset and allow it to present us with opportunities for growth and development, those challenging aspects can become great teachers. Change is also inevitable: it happens constantly in small ways, and large changes and transitions come to us all periodically. Change is a part of life. So changing our minds somewhat about transitions, loosening our resistance just a little, embracing the new, practicing gratitude, lowering our expectations and trusting that life has a way of working itself out, will reduce the stress associated with periods of change. Yes, there may be bumps along the way, but life evolves in seasons, and stability and routine will return. Be open to also seeing the goodness and benefits of change. How boring would life be if nothing changed, and our world was stagnant and repetitive?
So, give some or all of these ideas a try if you are experiencing a period of transition, and let me know how it goes. I would love to know if any of these tips inspired or helped you in any way.
Feel free to chat with me in the comments below, or send me a message on the Connect with Me page of this website. I am available to answer any questions you may have regarding this blog post or any of the health, yoga and wellness topics I cover here on The Be Well Blog. You can also find me on Instagram, YouTube, and Insight Timer. Come practice with me there, I would love to see you!
And as always if this inspired you today, please share it with a friend; it might inspire them too!
Until next time...Be Well!