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Going through major changes in life is just part of being human. We all have been there. Change can be scary, confusing, exciting, nerve-racking, or exhilarating.
Regardless of how it feels…
Big life changes are a natural part of growing up.
That said, you do have some control over the emotions that surround your growing phases and life changes. How you respond to major changes in life helps to determine your emotions and, ultimately, how enjoyable and positive your life experiences are.
Attitude is everything.
Before jumping into the tips for how to maintain that positive attitude and handle any big change in life, let’s call attention to some of the biggest life changes you may face (or have already faced!).
30 Most Common Major Changes in Life
Childhood Life Changes
While these are all big changes in life that you have probably already lived through, it can be helpful to reflect in order to remember how you felt, how you handled the change, and how you can grow from the experience.
- Starting School
- Graduating elementary school
- Starting middle school
- Going through pubery
- Starting high school
- Getting in your first relationship
- Getting your license
- Graduating high school
- Starting college or post-high school education
- Getting a job
Young Adult Life Changes
These are not things that everyone has or will go through in their young adult life. However, these are some common major changes in life that you may be familiar with, may be coming up for you, or you may be going through right now.
This time period includes your early 20s-early 30s.
- Moving out
- Getting your first pet
- College graduation
- Going through a major break-up
- Buying a house
- Getting engaged
- Getting married
- Having children
- Starting a new job
- A job promotion/demotion/etc.
Mid-Late Adult Life Changes
This list of major life changes is likely to occur past the age of 30. Again, this may happen younger, older, or not at all! But here are some common things that may alter your life in your later adult life.
- A divorce or separation
- Experiencing all your children’s life changes
- Buying a new house
- Moving to a new city
- Mid-life crisis
- A death in the family
- Retirement
- Illness (physical or mental)
- Children moving out
- Becoming a grandparent
These life changes are all incredibly common and, oftentimes, unavoidable.
Life changes can get a bad wrap. However, as you can see from many of these examples, a lot of life changes are incredibly positive and exciting.
With the right mindset and proper knowledge of how to handle them, major changes in life can be something to look forward to!
So the question is… how do you achieve that positive mindset? How do you view big life events and shifts as a positive? How do you make the most out of life’s situations?
12 Tips for How to Handle Major Changes in Life
1. Journal
One of the beginning steps to handling any changes is getting a really solid grasp on what you are facing and how you truly feel.
It is natural to experience a wide range of different emotions when things around you are changing. Journaling is a great way to get in touch with your emotions surrounding the change.
2. Make a List of All the Benefits
Like a pros and cons list… minus the cons. Let’s look on the bright side here and make a list of all the amazing things about the changes you are facing!
Change can be uncomfortable, yes. But even in the most uncomfortable of times, there is a silver lining. Find it!
3. Practice Acceptance
Okay, so even if you can’t get EXCITED about a change in your life (if it’s a negative one), you can work to ACCEPT it.
Acceptance is the first step in the right direction when you are struggling to accept something new.
Obsessing over something that is out of your hands is unproductive. Instead, trying to practice acceptance is the first step to happiness.
4. Continue Life as Normal as Possible
When going through big changes in life, some things will obviously not be “normal”. But, that doesn’t mean your whole life has to be uprooted. Continue on with as much normalcy as possible.
One of my best tips is to keep your consistent morning and night routine.
That way, even if the middle of your day feels crazy and a bit out of your control, you have a solid morning and night routine to lean back on. Starting and ending your day in a safe, comfortable place makes a huge difference.
5. Step Up the Self-Care
Self-care is insanely helpful when you are going through an unusual time of any sort… this time of transition is no different.
I always step up my self-care routine when I need to be a bit more on top of keeping my mindset positive and my mental health good.
If you don’t have a self-care routine in place, you need to make one ASAP. I love to incorporate self-care into my nights as a way to wind down before bed. I’ve also had great success with dedicating myself to a self-care challenge to really keep me motivated and on top of caring for myself.
{RELATED POST: 30 Days of Self-Care | 1 Month Self-Care Challenge}
6. Find a Productive Hobby
Dwelling on how much your life is changing is the WORST thing you can do if you are feeling iffy about it. That said, it’s natural to do so if you have too much empty time on your hands.
Picking up a productive hobby will not only keep you busy, but it gives you something you enjoy. Productive hobbies don’t have to mean productive in the sense that you are working. They can actually be something super fun!
Some productive hobbies include:
- Knitting
- Redesigning rooms of your home
- Starting a blog
- Writing
- Starting up a side hustle
- Cooking
- Hiking
- Photography
- Meditation and Yoga
Find something you enjoy and run with it!
7. Surround Yourself with Support
Having a good support system is EVERYTHING, especially when you are facing some changes in your life.
A parent, sibling, cousin, friend, coworker, neighbor, etc.: whoever is going to offer you the most support is who you should be leaning on right now.
Spend time with the people that lift you up, make you happy, and remind you how wonderful life is!
8. Keep Your Space Tidy
One of the hardest things about facing changes in life is the feeling of a loss of control. This feeling can be heightened if you feel out of control in your environment too.
If your home is chaotic and messy, you may be feeling a bit more anxious, out of control, and overwhelmed. This is the opposite of how you want to be feeling as you tackle big changes.
9. Stay Active
Research has shown that staying active and moving your body actually makes you feel more in control of your life. As you tackle the “new normal” in your life, this may be something you really benefit from.
{RELATED POST: How to Have an Incredible At-Home Workout}
Life changes have a way of making us feel a little bit off balance. Center yourself and take control of your life with some enjoyable, gentle movement.
10. Read Self-Help Books
This is a double-whammy. Reading doubles as a “productive hobby” so that checks off tip #6 as well!
Self-help books are my holy grail when I am feeling a little out of sorts, in any way.
11. Talk to Somebody
THERAPY. It is amazing.
I am currently utilizing BetterHelp for my therapy sessions and it is the best thing I’ve ever done for my mental health. BetterHelp is cool because it gives you access to therapists all over the country… you are no longer limited to your area! You can also chat with them 24/7 in a text-like thread.
I promise this isn’t sponsored by BetterHelp… I just can’t say enough about them. Hahaha!
Anyways, therapy, in general, is such an amazing tool when you are going through a period of transition or change in life. Just having someone to talk to and work through things with is helpful.
12. Allow Yourself to Feel Your Feelings
This is probably my favorite tip of all…
When you are going through changes in life, YOU ARE GOING TO FEEL THINGS.
You are human, you have emotions, you are affected by life circumstances… and there’s nothing wrong with that!
So, if you came to this post because you are hoping for some insightful tips to stop feeling the emotions you are around a big change in your life, this is for you…
It’s okay to feel.
Yup. It’s actually healthy to be feeling your emotions. In case no one has told you today, you are worthy of emoting and your feelings are valid. Always. Remember that!
Well, there you have it…
12 tips for how to handle those major changes in life.
With these tips, you will be a step ahead in living your happiest and healthiest life. I am wishing you all the best on this beautiful journey you are on.
Remember, with change comes growth.
Wonderful things are coming.
Jimmy Clare says
Great tips thanks for sharing
Delaney says
Thanks, Jimmy!!
Adriana says
Making sure to hold onto as much normalcy as possible – this is SUCH a helpful way to deal with big life changes! Whether it’s having a baby, moving to a new country, or even something more negative like getting a divorce, I strive to maintain some form of structure and routine. At times, it’s the only thing that would get me out of bed during those periods.
And of course, with the events of 2020 onwards (and all the uncertainty that comes with it), merging our new normal into our normal normal has been something we’ve all had to do 🙂
Delaney says
Yes!! These tips actually helped me feel a bit more in control during 2020… I count that year as a major change in life! Haha! It’s nice to have some things that make you feel centered!
Arti says
Journaling really helped me to face most of my major life changes. Thanks for sharing all the tips.
Delaney says
So glad it’s helped you! Journaling is so powerful!