….And Breathe

Written by counsellor, Kristen Bauer

“Life is like a camera. Focus on what is important. Capture the good times. And if things don’t work out, just take another shot.” - Ziad K. Abdelnour 

Change is a part of life that is guaranteed. In fact, some say the only constant in life is change; but that doesn’t mean we always embrace it or even get used to it. Sometimes change is unexpected and not so positive, other times change brings good. But even with positive life changes, people often feel stress or dread at the thought. It could be a house move or job change or even moving up a year in school. It is a natural reaction to feel stressed or slightly anxious. 

Personally, I don’t deal with change very well and it usually takes me some time before I feel settled after a major event has occurred. I remember when I got married and moved into my first house with my husband. Even after the first month I felt a bit out of place and anxious, sometimes even a bit down but I kept thinking “This is what you’ve always wanted, this is a good thing so why do I feel this way?” 

Needless to say, after a while, I got accustomed to my new home and now, I love it. It feels familiar and I am happy here but I guess I just needed to give myself some time and grace to deal with the emotions that change brings about.  This is important for anyone facing change, you may feel out of control or “not yourself” but that is okay. We are allowed to have bad days. 

What helped me, was sticking to a routine. Sometimes your brain is working extra hard to cope with the newness of your situation and so keeping to a schedule that you are used to gives your brain a rest and can feel quite comforting. 

Another thing that really helped me was seeking some support from my friends and family. Just being able to talk about what I was feeling over a cup of coffee felt like a lifesaver. It is okay to ask for help and whatever challenges you are facing, chances are your friends and family would be happy to help you in whatever way they can. 

I can honestly say that when I look back at the biggest and toughest changes that I have gone through, that is where I have grown the most. It didn’t always feel like it at the time but those changes have taught me valuable life lessons that have made things better as a result. 

There is a saying, fake it till you make it.  You have to keep reminding yourself about the positives in a situation until you start to believe them.

I love this quote by Ziad K. Abdelnour, “Life is like a camera. Focus on what is important. Capture the good times. And if things don’t work out, just take another shot.”