Change and transition

Change and transition are constants in our life. We all naturally resist change. For most of us the unknown causes stress and anxiety.

Some tips to help ease life’s transitions:

Be Aware
Sounds simple…it can be! Most of us walk around and go through each day on automatic. The truth is that most of us are not aware of our thoughts and where we feel things in our bodies. Awareness can make a positive difference in how we handle situations, personally and professionally.

Before we can make any change, we have to be aware of ourselves (our thoughts) and our bodies…where in your body do you feel things when you’re stressed? Does your chest constrict? Do you feel like you got kicked in the stomach? Do the thoughts in your head feel like they’re swirling around? What about when you’re happy? Where do you feel that?

Everybody feels things in different places…the important thing is to start to familiarize yourself with how you react to things. Use what you feel in your body as a signal to yourself so that you can handle all situations in a constructive way. For instance, when I am about to enter into a stressful situation, I often feel queasy in my stomach. The moment I become aware of this, I notice the feeling and use positive self talk and a simple breathing exercise to calm myself down. And most importantly it works!!

Be Present
If we look too much to the past, we can get stuck; if we look too much into the future and anticipate too much, stress and anxiety can creep in. Stay present and be in the moment as much as possible. The minute you are aware that your thoughts are too much in the past or future, shift to the present and really live in that moment. This way life won’t pass you by. Don’t be a spectator of your life.

To learn more, read Eckhart Tolle’s book, “The Power of Now”. Check out my book suggestion list.

Gather Information
Whatever the subject is, the more information we have, the more knowledge we have. Knowledge is powerful and reduces the stress of the unknown.

Take Action – Do you feel stuck? Does it feel like your feet are in cement and you can’t move forward. Sometimes you’re not sure what the next step is, and sometimes you know, and still feel stuck. Start with a baby step. When I coach clients, I tell them I’d rather have them take baby steps and have a steady incline than a big leap where you can end up going into the wall and end up stuck again. Keep moving forward!

Positive, Self Affirming Thoughts – I’m a firm believer that we think is what happens in life. So make sure your thoughts are positive, self affirming thoughts. If we easily believe that of our negative thoughts (if we think something “bad” will happen, it will, a self fulfilling prophecy. The same is true of positive thoughts. Then why not think with positive thoughts. Make sure you’re filling yourself with the positive, not the negative. It’s your Choice!!