Adapting to Change

Adapting to Change

Adapting to change can be hard, especially if you’re a planner (like me). I live for predictability, consistency, and control. All the things that make me super productive, but also drive me crazy. I secretly envy all the spontaneous people out there that are able to live in the moment, taking things day by day. Last week I found out there was a chance I would have to go back to work much earlier than the May date I was anticipating. I received official confirmation yesterday afternoon that I will need to return to work on Tuesday…giving me 6 days notice. Holy anxiety. 6 days is not enough time for me to mentally prepare, in addition to increasing our childcare situation. But it is what it is. In the matter of 24 hours I adjusted our childcare and I was able to change my mindset, making today a less emotionally draining day.

Look For the Positives

In every situation you have to look for the positives, because they will always be there for you. In my case, I am so thankful I got the 12 weeks off, I will be making more money returning to work, and I will be closer to Patrick’s work so we can have occasional lunch dates. It is so easy to dwell on the negative but that will never get you anywhere.

Create A New Plan

I have mentioned it many times (here and here) that plans make me calm. It is much easier for me to adapt to change when a new plan is in place. Did you wakeup late and miss your workout class? Go on YouTube and get a quick workout in at home. Forget your nutritious lunch at home? Head to Whole Foods or some type of healthy restaurant and grab a healthy option instead of throwing in the towel and going to McDonalds. For my situation, I created a new workout plan and will need to plan for more structure in our meal planning and cleaning schedule at home. Everything will still work out, it will just need to be re-worked into a new plan.

This Shall Pass Too

This difficult time will pass. Adjusting to something new will pass. The sleepless nights of the newborn phase will pass. It all eventually passes and when you look back, it is just a distant memory.

Hang in there with whatever difficult situation you may be going through. Reach out for help and support. You don’t need to do everything on your own. Ask for help when you need it, and take a break when you are tired. We are all human and not perfect, we have our good days and bad days.

What is a change you had to adapt to recently?