Dress: Express (see all my favorites here) // Tights: Target // Shoes: Sarah Flint (save $50 off your next pair) // Earrings: Park Lane Jewelry // Purse: Old (similar here)

This week has already started with a crazy change in my life. Sometimes change is expected and sometimes it hits you like a freight train. This week, it was the freight train for me. The one thing I’ve come to realize as I grow older is that change is inevitable. Nothing in life is static and the key to inner peace and happiness is being able to go within yourself instead of depending on your exterior circumstances. Relationships dissolve sometimes, companies make directional changes, and new opportunities will present themselves. The best thing you can possibly do for yourself is to take care of yourself. Here are a few ways I’ve found navigating change to be more digestible in life.

Get Rest

Last night I slept ten hours straight. I typically have a shorter sleep cycle lasting 6-6.5 hours naturally. After a full day of change, I went ahead and called it lights out at a much earlier time. When I’m well-rested, my body and mind respond more positively to change. Giving myself an hour or two extra for sleep helps me focus better when I’m awake. I also plan mini naps into my day - usually right when I get off from work. A twenty-minute session where you just close your eyes and breathe can be as invigorating as another cup of coffee. Purposefully plan to rest more as you go through a transition.

Review Your Tasks and Priorities

If you haven’t looked at your yearly goals and priorities, it’s a great time to do so. How will the change you are experiencing affect your ability to achieve those goals? Do you need to move something around to accommodate? Do you need to reset expectations with yourself about what you will be able to accomplish given the changes? Here’s an example, if your job role changed at work and it takes an extra hour or two for you to complete the tasks for your new role then maybe you will have to move your hobby to a later point in the day or even the weekend so you can be present in both. Maybe you need to schedule your workouts before work instead of after to accommodate for physical fatigue after work. Write down your top five priorities in life and then put them into your planner in blocks of time. I have a huge priority to spend time with my daughter so each night I block out half an hour to greet her when she gets home. We talk about her day and connect. I plan to be present during that time. If I do have to work, then I let her know in advance and connect with her when my meetings are over.

Communicate to Those Around You

One of the biggest changes I made in my thirties is to not bottle emotions up until they explode. I now communicate to others when my boundaries are being pushed or my emotional sink is overflowing as my therapist called it. She told me to imagine my life and stressors being a kitchen sink that’s overflowing. You have to drain the water before you add more. When change happens, I make it a point of doing some extra draining and focusing on self-care. It’s okay to communicate to others that you are doing okay but going through a lot and their support would be so helpful! Most people truly want to help you just have to give them the opportunity to. Communicate with your direct boss, those around you, and whomever you live with to ensure everyone understands that now is not the time for extra favors. Remind them that you care about them and will be able to be more resourceful in the future but you need a little time to get a grasp on your own changes.