From time to time throughout the course of a lifetime one goes through times of transition. Some of them are major like marriage or graduation and some are more subtle like changing jobs or changing from school year to summer routines. The pandemic has caused major changes for most people. Nature goes through changes too. Think of the change of seasons, the change in weather, the tides, and the butterfly’s metamorphosis. Another analogy for change is shifting gears as in gears on a bike or car.
My Reaction to Change
I have always had a hard time with change. In fact, there were times in my life where change has caused me severe anxiety and emotional distress. Despite this, I have learned that change is not only completely and utterly inevitable but also that I crave change. I am the kind of person who does well with some sort of structure or routine but also need things to be changed up every so often or I get bored.
Recently I changed jobs. Apparently I am not alone as the average employee stays with their employer for 4.1 years as of January 2020 with women changing it up more frequently, women (3.9 years) and men (4.3 years). I went from being employed for a social service agency working with the homeless population to working in a community center teaching in the preschool and after school programs. My hours shifted from having late afternoons and evenings off to having the mornings off.
While this change was absolutely voluntary it did cause me to feel off balance. I have been in my new job about a month now and I feel like I am just gaining my footing. Unfortunately, that is why I haven’t written a blog post in a while. This is one of the many things I want to make part of my new routine.
Establishing a new routine will help me to take advantage of the positives of this life change. I have been using my mornings to teach my son, work on my Etsy shop, walk the dog, do chores, and run errands. I would like to consistently build in self-care time too.
Negatively, my anxiety has been up, and I have been upset with myself for not being more productive in the mornings before work. This just reveals another character trait of mine however, the deadly perfectionism. Positively, I have enjoyed being home in the mornings to be a part of my son’s homeschool education. I have also enjoyed meeting new people and working with children again at my new job.
The Benefits of Change
If change is painful why do we do it? I think that the flow of life forces us all into change to a certain extent. We all age. Our needs and desires change which leads us to make decsions to try new things. I can’t believe I of all people am about to promote the benefits of change but here we go…
Here are 3 reasons change can be good:
- Personal Growth– we do not grow in a stagnant pool of water. Growth requires new experiences and new challenges. Even hard or painful change can help us to become better people.
- Improving Circumstances– change can bring us benefits like higher wages, more satisfaction, or moving away from harmful or painful situations
- Excitement– change can be an adventure with the right attitude. Whether the change is small like trying a different ice cream flavor or large like a cross country move change can be fun.
As my life continues I want to continue to befriend change because life is easier and more fun when I don’t let my anxiety get the better of me and I accept the change that makes life interesting. Acceptance of life as it is always helps me to feel more peaceful.
Resources:
Statisitics pulled from this intersting article on job changes: Average Number of Jobs in a Lifetime [2022]: All Statistics – Zippia
To read more about self-care check out: What Does your Self-Care Plan Look Like? | J & K Dream On (jandkdreamon.com)
If your curious about my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/katieroserosaries
For help with mental health issues check out: NIMH » Help for Mental Illnesses (nih.gov)