This blog shares 4 ways on how to cope with change. Life transitions occur for us all the time through small, big, exciting, or difficult changes. They occur whether you are the orchestrators of these changes, or if they are out of your control. You may be the type of person who is uncomfortable with changes, and you do everything in your power to remain in control of everything. 

 

However, there are things we simply can not control. This includes relationships ending, moving or relocating, and loved ones passing away. There may be changes with your job or finances, changes within yourself (developing other interests, starting a new job, wanting to start over or explore ourselves, and more).

 

This isn’t to say that all change is inherently good. We do not need to lie to ourselves that they’re ok if some changes are extremely upsetting, and it takes a lot out of ourselves to cope.

 

Some feel that the universe brings us these changes for a reason, while others may look at more cause-and-effect scenarios. Anyway you perceive changes is fine – just guide yourself to be resilient, accepting, and hold compassion for yourself.

 

The four ways to cope with change include: 1) Acknowledge and consider the ways this will affect your life. 2) Set reasonable expectations for yourself during the change. 3) Develop and stick to a routine. 4) Stay connected with others.

 

Anxiety therapy in Simi Valley, CA supports you during life transitions whether you’re a teenager or adult. Our licensed therapists are competent in providing you guidance during your journey. Check out our blog Signs It’s Time to Start Anxiety Counseling.

 

How to Cope with Change: Acknowledge and consider the ways this will affect your life.

family devastated to learn that the husband was let go from his job but he is in anxiety therapy and will hopefully cope well

It can be difficult to face uncomfortable, upsetting realities of our situations. But when we avoid accepting it, we can make it worse on ourselves by going into denial.

 

Let’s start where your change is somewhat anticipated or planned, such as moving or starting a new job. In what ways will this affect your life as it operates now? Consider your current schedule or routines. How can you prepare to adjust these to your new change, if necessary? Write this down or reflect on it.

 

In the instance where you are faced with an unexpected or sudden change, your first thought may not be considering the ways this will affect your life – at least not in a positive or accepting way. In these situations, allow yourself time and space to grieve. Connect with a mental health professional or seek out support from others.

 

Our therapists in Simi Valley offer grief counseling and trauma therapy at New Leaf for those going through difficult or distressing changes. Read our blog on 5 Healthy Ways to Process Anger!

 

How to Cope with Change: Set reasonable expectations for yourself during the change.

 

woman feeling incredibly stressed due to losing her mom and needing grief counseling

Don’t expect too much out of yourself, work with the best of your abilities and give yourself space to breathe. Setting reasonable expectations for yourself helps you manage the stress of the change while functioning normally and to the best of your abilities. 

 

A reasonable expectation to have for yourself while enduring a change is knowing you will likely experience an array of emotions that can feel conflicting. Hold space for these and validate them as they come up for you. Regret, sadness, fear, frustration, hopefulness, excitement, curiosity, and more will likely come up for you. 

 

Unreasonable expectations are anything that feel rushed, stressful, uncertain, or even uncomfortable. Ensure you are being honest with yourself about your needs, and install any necessary personal boundaries throughout this process.

 

Teen therapy in Simi Valley provides teens with the necessary skill sets to emotionally self-regulate and cope with issues such as anxiety, depression, school-related, and more. Make sure to check out our blog on Why Your Teen May be Self-Diagnosing.

 

How to Cope with Change: Develop and stick to a routine.

two friends reaching fitness goals together and inspiring each other after they both are in anxiety therapy and want to support each other more

Stay on top of basic self-care with feeding and hydrating yourself, moving your body around, and getting proper sleep. Similar to reasonable expectations for yourself, implement basic tasks into your regular schedule. 

 

This may help you stay focused on coping with and adjusting to the change. During stressful events, you may feel all over the place or struggling to juggle numerous things at once.

 

As a result, you are unable to attend to certain needs or tasks, or procrastinate on them. When you’re able to develop and stick to a routine, you can create time to attend to ways to adjust to your change and current situation as soon as possible.

 

Your routine may include times for sleeping/getting up, meal times, exercise/being active, social time with others, and fitting these things around your work or school schedule. Most importantly, you may add in time to attend to yourself through self-care. 

 

Individual therapy in Simi Valley is ideal for those seeking a space reserved to focus solely on their issues or healing. Make sure to read our blog on Taking Responsibility for Your Mental Health.

 

How to Cope with Change: Stay connected with others.

two friends moving into a college dorm and feeling hopeful thanks to anxiety therapy in simi valley

You don’t need to go through this alone, and the people in your life are there to help and support you through it all. It can feel overwhelming to go through life transitions, especially when you feel that it’s a lot to handle on your own.

 

Leaving our comfort zones can be scary. They can feel unpredictable, nerve wracking, or uncertain. We may feel in some moments, an excitement to leave our comfort zone and venture into new territories. Other times, we may feel a strong desire to go back to our comfort zone and reside there longer. 

 

Stay connected with others through various mediums. Take advantage of the fact that people are offering you support and showing their care for you during this time – you deserve to experience that! Check in with others by phone calls, video chat, texting, social media, and more. Consider updating others and sharing your journey as well.

 

Coping with change is difficult, however you have the ability to see them through to the end, and realize that you will be okay.

 

In-person therapy in Simi Valley is ideal for those seeking a separate, safe space from their home. Check out our blog on Online Therapy or In Office Therapy to understand what format is best for you. Another great blog to read is ours on if you need Therapy or Medication to address your issues.

 

By seeking out support, you can begin your journey to feeling relief. You don’t have to go through finding the right level of support alone, either.

 

Consider calling our therapy group at (805) 774-1506 for a free consultation on how you or a loved one can get started today!

 

Seek out a validating, safe environment with us today. We will help you get to where you want to be. Our therapists provide trauma therapy, teen therapy, individual adult therapy, LGBTQIA+ therapy, anxiety therapy, depression therapy, family therapy, and more in-office in Simi Valley, CA.

Tap Here To Call Us