6 Ways to Positively Embrace Change in Your Life

Hi, lovelies! 💓 I hope you’re having an awesome Wednesday! Last weekend, Alejandro and I finally moved out of our studio and into a one bedroom apartment. The moving process happened so quickly, and it was a bitter sweet moment. We had to embrace change when it comes to our location for the first time in years!

After we moved our things, Alejandro and I sat on the floor of our old apartment for thirty minutes, just reminiscing. We both teared up thinking about all the memories we made in our first home together. I couldn’t believe that two years had flown by, and we were saying goodbye to our studio.

Closing that chapter of our lives in such a cathartic way was an important step in moving forward. Big life changes like moving can be scary, but I love our new apartment. It’s quickly starting to feel like home!

Back in January, I touched on embracing change as it comes in my “5 Gentle Reminders for the New Year” post. I wanted to expand on this post and write about embracing change in greater detail.

Dealing with change is something that I’ve always struggled with, and it has caused me a lot of anxiety and sadness. These tips have helped me a lot through different life changes (both good and bad), especially during the last few years.

Although it can be scary sometimes, here are six ways to positively embrace change in your life!

How to Positively Embrace Change

1. Find or create your own closure.

It’s difficult to officially close a chapter of your life, but finding closure is an important step to embracing change. You’ll feel so much better in the long run. Sometimes, a clear cut feeling of closure may not be possible. In this case, try thinking of small actions that will help you move forward in a healthy way.

When I first graduated college, it wasn’t an easy transition. I needed to stay the summer because of my job at the time. All of my friends were moving back home, my family was over 100 miles away, and I felt very alone.

Closure proved to be difficult because I saw my university every day during my commute to work. I had to think of ways to create my own closure. For me, this meant accepting that I was in a new stage of life and moving forward. I redecorated my apartment, found new delicious dining spots, and made friends at work.

It was a really hard summer, but I truly think that experience made me stronger in the long run!

2. Allow yourself to address your emotions.

Bottling things up is never the answer. Make sure you allow yourself to feel the many emotions that tend to surface during a transformative period. Are you feeling happy? Upset? Sad? Anxious?

Take some time to think about how this change is affecting you. After you’ve addressed your emotions, find different ways to express yourself. Paint a picture, listen to music, have a cry, go for a run, etc.

Personally, I keep a journal to write down my feelings. Before moving to our new place, I wrote a new journal entry every day. Writing helped me gather my thoughts and eased my anxiety about the move!

3. Acknowledge your inner strength.

No matter what the future brings, know that you will get through anything. Too often, we don’t acknowledge our own strength. Never underestimate yourself. You’re here in the present moment because of all your life experiences, both good and bad. Those experiences made you who you are today. And honestly, that’s pretty awesome!

4. If you’re feeling down, write a list of things that make you happy.

Sometimes, change is unwanted or out of your control. This can ultimately cause negative thoughts to pop up throughout the day. If you’re feeling down, recenter yourself and focus on things that bring a smile to your face. Grab a pen and piece of paper. Next, create a list of things you’re grateful for. Maybe it’s your significant other’s hugs, a good book, or that delicious cup of hot chocolate from your favorite cafe.

Try to jot down at least one thing that makes you happy each day as a form of self care. You’ll have the list to remind you of things that make you smile whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Back in June, I wrote a post called 7 Days of Happiness | What Made Me Smile Last Week. For the post, I challenged myself to take a picture of one thing that made me smile each day for a week. I would totally recommend completing a challenge like this one! There are also a lot of similar challenges on Instagram and Pinterest!

5. Take a step back.

A life change can often times prove to be all-consuming. Everybody needs a break every now and again, though. Take some time out of the day to just focus on you. Pamper yourself with an at home spa day, a midday nap, or nice dinner. If you don’t have much time, take a 10 minute walk around your neighborhood. Doing little things like this will help clear your mind!

6. Ask for advice from someone who has been in a similar situation.

Make sure you’re confiding in people you trust, whether they’re a friend, family member, or coworker. I personally tend to reach out to Nonna for advice.

My grandma always has such great insight! Even if I’m terrified about an upcoming life change, she somehow knows how to calm me down. I feel so much more relaxed about the future after a conversation with her!

If you know someone who has gone through a similar life change, reach out to them! They’ll be able to give you more insight, since they’ve already experienced your situation. You’ll feel a lot more relieved talking to someone who understands!

I hope this post was helpful, lovelies! Have a wonderful rest of your day! x

What do you find to be most helpful when it comes to facing changes? What advice would you give to others who are dealing with a life change? In your experience, how do they learn to eventually embrace change?