With my personality, the word change is normally means exciting times lie ahead. I live for variety and spontaneity but at the moment, there is a bit too much of it and everything is up in the air.
On the top of that list is the fact that Daddio is based in another city at least 3 times a week and that has spiraled into many other changes for our family – we just sold our house and moved into a rental, while we build our “forever home”. So I’ve really been reflecting on how to bring about the calm again.
Here are my 3 tips for embracing change
1. Focus on what’s going right:
Although change can have some negative connotations and leave you feeling overwhelmed, there is always something positive to look forward to and I would highly recommend that you focus on that.
Ask yourself:
- How is the change going to benefit you or your family?
- What will you learn from going through this process?
- How will the change stretch you or make you better/stronger?
Currently, I’m choosing to celebrate my Destiny Magazine feature. You can read the full article here
2. Give it time:
Before you throw in the towel, first assess how the change has affected you over a period of time. If it isn’t a completely positive change, of course the first few days will be the hardest. It has taken me a couple of weeks to adjust to our changes and I’ve had to consciously find other things to focus on. I’ve used this time to study online and put a lot of thought and effort into my career and future aspirations. Two months later, we are all fairly settled around our new routine. **wait til the new house rocks things yet again**
3. Consider the kids:
A lot of the time, we assume that children don’t notice things or feel unsettled by changes – if you read my post on helping your child cope with grief, you’ll know that this is not always the case. Before you make big changes, prepare your children by openly discussing matters and allowing them to ask you questions. Continue to manage the communication closely until they are well-settled with whatever changes your family is dealing with.
This post reminded me of a similar one I did about a few year ago on tips to help your child cope with change no matter how big or small. Read it here. That might help you too.
Love
Modern Zulu Mom
3 tips for embracing change
1 Comment
Hi Thando,
Thanks for sharing on this topic!! Appreciated as always!!
Change can be so overwhelming. My young family and I are going through so many changes, all at once and it’s like there is no ending. I suppose this is to be expected cause we are in the building phases of absolutely everything our lives entail.
We recently got married. Moved cities. Had unplanned baby no2 while still adjusting to baby no1. I moved into a new job, husband kicked off his business. Now we are moving suburbs to be closer to my work place. All this while we are away from our friends and family. It’s a lot I wont lie. But taking a moment in the middle of it all to reflect on why you are doing all that you are doing helps. As well as reflecting on the progress you have made. Also understanding that you are in the process of building a strong foundation for the well being of your family and future of your kids is comforting.
Our kids are small now but they are growing so quickly, we want to make sure that we stabilise life as much as we can now for them. It’s a mission and a half, it’s draining but it’s not impossible.
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