Dealing with change

I'm sure a lot of you have had to deal with some sort of change in your life. For me, change has been at the forefront of my life right now and it can be extremely hard for me to deal with. However, I have taken some time to reflect on this change and finding new and easy ways to handle it all.

Currently, I am starting a new full-time job as a marketing communications intern. I am super excited about starting a new chapter in my life and career. Especially because this is my first job within my field of study, and eventually this experience will contribute to my career. It's a lot to take in and while I am very eager to start my first day I know that it will be a lot of hard work and dedication throughout the summer months. Usually, the summer is a time for me to relax and hang out with friends and family. I will still have the opportunity to do that, but it might be a little more scarce with a full-time job on the horizon.

Anxiety is a part of my life in more ways than one. Dealing with change brings out a whole other level of anxiety for me. I know that most of the change occurring in my life is for the better, but knowing that doesn't take away the ongoing overthinking going on in my mind.

I have found that a great way to deal with this anxiety is journaling. I know, not a lot of people are interested in writing, but I've found that journaling all the thoughts and worries that are going on inside my head have made it a little easier to get through the day. If you're more of a creative person, bullet journaling can be a great way to write down and keep track of your daily routine through coloring and drawing. Even if you aren't great at writing, even making short and thoughtful journal entries can ease the mind. In an online journal by JMIR Mental Health Publications, a randomized controlled trial was done to explore the positive effect of journaling in the improvement of mental distress.

"At present, 60% of all people living in the United States have at least one chronic health condition, and 42% have multiple chronic conditions."

Overall, the study suggests that positive affect journaling (PAJ) has "potential utility as an intervention for managing mental distress, particularly elevated anxiety symptoms, and other aspects of well-being among general medical patients." These findings are consistent with prior research done on writing interventions done to enhance well-being and overall mental health.

If journaling isn't of any interest to you at all, another way that I have found helpful in dealing with change is spending time with family and friends. I know that might be complicated with the current pandemic we've all endured for the past year, however, as vaccinations become available to everyone we are starting to be able to see our friends and family on a normal basis again. Taking time whenever you can to visit family or friends is essential in grounding yourself when change comes around. While everything around you might seem to be morphing into something new, your friends and family will be something familiar for you to lean on during this time.

While change is important and necessary for you to grow, it can make you feel very small in a very big and changing world. Whether you're going through a breakup, changing jobs, or going through any other big change that has come into your life it is important to understand and recognize the way that you're feeling and deal with it accordingly. Here are some other great ways to deal with anxiety when going through change.