Short messages on Positive change from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
If you are someone who hates change, then you are going to have to at least tolerate it when it happens. You don’t have to like what’s going on, but you do have to find a way to cope, because change happens, like it or not.
If the changes in your life are overwhelming, you don’t have to deal with them all by yourself. Friends, family, support groups, and counsellors are available, but you do have to reach out and ask, which can be hard. It may be a struggle, but you don’t have to suffer.
Adapting to change is more difficult for some people; the trick is to know that it is just one of the millions of changes that are going to happen in your life and, good or not so good, you can learn ways to accept that it is happening.
Change is constantly happening in life. Some changes are positive, such as a new loving relationship or gaining a new friend; others you may see as negative, such as losing your job. Learning how to adjust to change, both good and bad, can help make life easier.
“Do not let the behaviour of others destroy your inner peace.” – Dalai Lama
“Never respond to an angry person with a fiery comeback, even if you think they deserve it… Don’t allow their anger to become your anger.” – Bohdi Sanders
When we get a clear look at our ways of thinking and feeling, rather than just following their leads unconsciously or semi-consciously, then we respond more consciously and choicefully rather than react on the basis of habit or situational circumstances.
Because mindfulness is about grounding consciousness in the present, the mind is less likely to be captivated by self-generated mental accounts about the past and future, as well as the rumination, regret, anxiety, and other experiences that can dampen the experience of well-being.
You can use mindfulness principles when doing your normal daily activities, like eating, talking to friends, and exercising. When you notice your mind jumping ahead to worries about what you are going to do next, bring your attention back to what’s happening right now.
Mindfulness is about focusing on what is happening right now, rather than replaying things that happened in the past or worrying about what’s going to happen next. It takes a lot of practice to build the mindfulness habit.