So many of us are experiencing some level of change right now. In the midst of the pandemic, we are all undergoing transitions of some kind, whether that's in our career, our relationships, or our mental, emotional, physical or spiritual health. Sometimes this can lead us to feeling guilt or shame, a sense of failure or hopelessness. Somehow we feel we must have made a mistake somewhere along the way or that change is something we should resist.
But what if we’re wrong? What if these uncomfortable changes are really just growing pains, necessary for our own personal growth? When we reach the limits of an old way of being or a view that is no longer a match with this stage of our journey, it generally starts to get pretty uncomfortable. And that’s a really GOOD thing!
There is massive value in stepping out of your comfort zone and making changes to your life. Change not only creates new experiences, it also increases your confidence and nurtures your personal growth. In many cases, it can help to end stagnant situations and signal the beginning of a new life chapter.
Making the decision and taking the first step to change may be difficult to begin with. Many of us are resistant to change because we fear the unknown or feel a lack or confidence. But once you get started and witness the benefits that shaking things up brings, it naturally becomes easier. And the added bonus of making a change in one area of your life, more often than not leads to a change in another. For instance, when you improve your diet, your mindset changes. When you take time to meditate, your health improves. They are all connected!
"Remember that the only constant in life is change” ~ Buddha
Here are a few examples of how you can make change work for you:
CHANGE YOUR LANGUAGE
Your words, whether you say them out loud or think them, influence your life and the lives of those around you. Putting effort and intention into keeping your language positive - whether you're communicating how you feel or expressing your opinion - will improve your thought patterns and in turn improve your relationships with others. It will also reduce the possibility of negative interpretations. Try listening to your own conversations to spot negativity and patterns in the type of words you might be choosing. Change your "shoulds" to "coulds" and weed out words that shame or blame yourself or others.
CHANGE YOUR DIET
You will very quickly notice a positive effect on your mind as well as your body when you make healthier food and drink choices, such as drinking more water, consuming less sugar, cutting down on booze or following a varied wholefood diet. Seriously, who doesn't want to look, feel and think better?
Recently I did a course with an amazing Nutritional Therapist, and by making a few small changes in my diet, I have seen big improvements in my energy levels, my mindset and my figure! The small changes and the results that I have seen already have spurred me on to try new products, recipes and ways of cooking. Even if you know that you need to make a change in this area but you don't know where to start, the key is to take one small action - and see the benefit of that after a week or two. The motivation and confidence you gain from seeing results will set you on the path for even greater changes!
CHANGE UP YOUR ROUTINE
Making a change to your daily routine switches things up and creates new experiences. Try changing up your morning routine, your meal times or maybe your working hours if that's possible. Could you take a half hour a day for reading, meditation or catching up with friends? Could you listen to a podcast while walking or working out? Could you write a list of things that you are grateful for first thing in the morning instead of hitting snooze?
We have an average of 50,000 thoughts every day and 95% of them are the same things we were thinking about yesterday! Without introducing new information or routines, we become stagnant and our world becomes smaller and smaller. It's much easier to kick the can down the road and say "I'll start tomorrow" but bear in mind that if you don't start making changes, everything in your life will stay the same.
CHANGE YOUR LIVING ENVIRONMENT
New surroundings can revive your senses, resulting in fresh thoughts, emotions and actions. At a basic level, decluttering, redecorating, changing colours, lighting and textures in your home or moving the furniture around, can actually reduce stress. If you are considering a bigger change like a city, country or continent move, it might at first seem completely impossible. First comes the dream, but once you start looking into it, researching it and talking to other people who have made a change, it will feel more achievable.
Resistance to a change of environment may come from those close to you. It is important to remember that you are doing what is right for you. To move past any judgement, remind yourself of the dream that started you on this journey. Write a list of reasons why it will work for you and stay motivated by reading this list regularly.
CHANGE YOUR CAREER
Most of us believe that our perfect job is out there somewhere, but more often than not we'll stop ourselves from going for it because our inner voice tells us that we need “more”.... higher qualifications, skills, youth, energy or experience. Even if we dare to believe it's possible, we can trip ourselves up by concentrating on what we don't have, rather than visualising the dream job we are hoping to attract.
If you have fears holding you back, start asking yourself questions. If you need a new qualification, which one? Where can you get it and is there a cost? A really good tool that I use with clients is asking them to write their perfect "Job Description" to include their favourite tasks, the hours that they work and the pay that they will receive and that becomes a goal. Try it for yourself! If you don't know exactly what you want, how are you going to recognise it when it shows up?!
As always, if you are going through changes in your own life and need some help, please don't hesitate to reach out, I'd love to hear from you.
Much love, Jo xxx
