If nothing else, this year has been full of surprises, curveballs, uncertainty, and changes. For many people, me included, change is something that makes you a little nervous; as humans, we like consistency and being in control, so the last nine months will likely have been a challenge for many of you! We’re now at a critical point in the year when many people are experiencing radical changes, so I thought it would be a good idea to share with you my 5 top tips for managing change. Whether you’re struggling to adapt to your children returning to school, or you’re getting used to working back at home again, or you’re concerned about job security, or you are simply anxious about what the next few months will bring; I hope this blog post gives you some helpful coping tools, or at the very least, reminds you that you’re not alone.

1.   Listen to your emotions

It can be very tempting to push all your worries to one side and act as if nothing is concerning you, but this will leave you feeling quite lonely and could result in your emotions becoming more intense. Instead, try and listen to your feelings. If you want to, talking to a loved one about what’s going on can often help, after all, a problem shared is a problem halved! But if you don’t feel like talking, then just listen to yourself; accept that you’re feeling worried, or stressed, or anxious, as it will be a lot easier to deal with once you have pinpointed the emotion.

2.   Find a constant

When there are lots of things changing around me, I always try and focus on what is remaining the same, in order to ground myself. It could be something as obvious as the love for your children, but focusing on a constant in your life will help you remember that not everything is changing.

3.   List writing

Keeping all your thoughts in your head can feel very overwhelming, so I’m a list maker! I make lists for everything, and in this instance, writing down what’s changing and how that’s making you feel, can really help you gain some perspective. I also then write what I can actually control out of these things, as I try not to focus on things I can’t change.

4.    Visualise a positive future

I really believe that positive thoughts create positive outcomes, so it’s a great idea to try and picture a happy future. That may be next year, or it could be in five years time; whichever works better for you, try and use the image to calm yourself down and fill you with positive energy.

5.   Find a balance

It’s really important that in times of stress or uncertainty, you manage to switch off and focus on something you enjoy. Maybe you have a hobby that you love doing or a project that you can dedicate sometime to, but whatever it is, finding a balance between being proactive, and relaxing, is essential.

I hope these tips help you find some calm in amongst this craziness. Be kind to yourself.

Sally x

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