Seven Strategies to Care for Yourself during Change

1. It is easy to neglect your body’s needs, which is the last thing you want to do in a period of high stress. Pay attention to your body, take deep cleansing breaths, eat well and drink plenty of water, exercise , go for a walk and stretch.
2. Every emotion is a message and serves a purpose so let yourself feel them. Focus on the energy of emotions. Discover their messages. And… don’t get into practical matters and decision making when you are feeling emotional.
3. Runaway thoughts, worries and fears can zap so much of your energy. Take the time to write down the emotions. When the energy subsides you can make better decisions. Get a journal or go on the computer and write your thoughts. When you see them as words on a piece of paper they become much more manageable and a lot less scary. Some times the big scary monster on the wall is just a shadow of your own hands.
4. Know and use your support system and ask for help. Support is always there and you don’t have to do it alone. Your challenges are yours to deal with but you are never without help. My greatest comfort comes from my spiritual beliefs, my family and friends, inspirational books , my coach and at times even therapy.
5. Nothing is absolutely negative. Looking for positive aspects of this change, keeps you from drowning in the negatives. Remember the “Serenity prayer” and let go of what you cannot control.
6. Stay true to yourself because you have to live with the person that emerges from the change. One measure of successful change is to feel good about yourself at the end of the journey.
7. Remember that change works in cycles and cycles end. You may not be able to control the change but you have control over your own attitude and perceptions about it. Keep things in perspective and see the humor when you can.