What You Should Know About Change & Times of Crisis
Guest blog by Jennifer Scott from spiritfinder.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had so many different effects on Americans. One thing that most Americans have in common right now, however, is that they are learning to deal with persistent change. Sometimes these changes are a surprise, while other times they are planned. Either way, it can be hard to adapt to changes during such uncertain times but these tips may help.
Change Can Be Hard, Even When It’s Exciting
Think back to some of the biggest transitions in your life. Maybe you’re thinking of your high school graduation or maybe you’re thinking about your first time buying a boat. Whatever sort of changes that come to mind when you think of the word “change,” those memories are likely to conjure up a host of emotions. From excitement to sadness to stress, there are so many complicated feelings that can come with change.
Thrive Global explains that is one of the reasons change is so hard for us: we’re often not ready to deal with the flood of emotions that can come with both minor and major transitions in our lives.
Another reason is that, like it or not, most of us thrive on a consistent routine. So when you throw something new into the mix, whether it’s trimming your own hair or social-distancing from relatives, it’s easy to feel a bit off. The key to adapting to these changes is to allow yourself some time to process emotions and to become more resilient. Understanding your body’s stress responses is an effective way to build resiliency over time.
Postponing Major Life Changes Can Be Smart
Resiliency can take you a long way in life, and during times of crisis. By staying in tune with your emotions and body, Psychology Today says that you can master changes that end up coming your way during the COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of major life transitions, however, if you can help it you may want to put those changes off until things have calmed down. The thing is, we’re all dealing with an unprecedented amount of stress and worry right now, both of which can have a negative impact on your decision-making skills.
If you simply cannot put off a major transition there are some best practices you can use to make better decisions in times of stress. For one, you can gather and assess all of the facts related to the choice at hand. For example, if you are thinking of selling a home you would want to research the impact the virus made on the housing market to see what sort of impacts COVID-19 may be having. Then you could see that housing prices and demands may be lower but the market is still active. You just may need to use virtual tools, including virtual tours and 3D walkthroughs to sell your home, and make sound decisions.
Putting Smaller Changes into Perspective Can Help
So it makes perfect sense that big changes, like selling a home or even adopting a pet, can stress people out. After all, the effects of these decisions and changes can last a lifetime, but what about smaller changes? For instance, getting a new haircut? While the impacts of these sort of changes are more temporary, the emotions involved in them can feel just as monumental.
This is because oftentimes, you may be expressing deeper emotions with these seemingly trivial shifts in your routine. As empowering as small changes can be, however, you still need to proceed with caution if you don’t want to experience too much regret. So if you plan on giving yourself a new haircut at home, you may want to watch online tutorials or connect with your stylist. Researching your options when it comes to other small changes can also be helpful, but it can also be important to shift your perspective when it comes to change and life in general.
Clearly we all are experiencing a lot of changes. If you want to thrive during and after the COVID-19 crisis, you have to find ways to embrace these shifts. At the very least, learn to cope with it better so you can come out of these uncertain times as a stronger and more resilient version of yourself!
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