How Self-Care Can Help You Deal with Life’s Difficult Changes
Change isn’t always positive. When it is, that can be a pleasant surprise. We are so used to experiencing changes that we would rather avoid them, but it’s a real treat when something wonderfully surprising happens.
Unfortunately, even someone who experiences almost nothing but positive change can be floored when something bad happens.
You might have a life of nothing but great change. Everything always goes your way. The change you plan and the change that catches you off guard are amazing. You move forward in life.
It’s as if you live a dream existence. Then, out of the blue, life decides to test you. A loved one dies. You lose your job. You are handed divorce papers. With this one significant change, you feel like your life is over.
As much as we would like to hope you never have to go through some change that is life-altering in a bad way, you know it will happen. It might’ve already occurred in your life. When these changes give us no warning and we can’t prepare for them, the onslaught of negative emotions, feelings, and thoughts can be crippling.
One way to best prepare yourself for these types of events that are going to happen is to start taking better care of yourself every day.
Simple Self-Care Tips That Help You Cope with Change
You probably have some things you do to treat yourself occasionally. You have dinner at your favorite restaurant just because. You’re not celebrating anything in particular. You decide to give yourself that wonderful experience because you deserve it.
Believe it or not, something as simple as that can help you deal with the ever-shifting life you’ll experience. Here are a few other suggestions for activities that help you support emotional and mental well-being. These and other self-care practices can help you overcome the most difficult changes.
- Take a 30-minute walk every day, no matter where you are.
- Read a book.
- Practice gratitude daily. Think about three things that you are grateful for in your life.
- Learn to say “no” when it’s the proper answer. This gives you more self-respect and a healthier self-image.
- Take a day off from work and do nothing at all.
- Join your best friend for lunch.
- Perform a random act of kindness for a total stranger.
- Laugh and smile.
Dress up. Get your hair done. Groom yourself. Get a massage. Take a long, hot shower. Soak in a hot tub with your favorite essential oils. All of these are simple ways to take better care of yourself. They lead to stronger mental health. That can strengthen you, so you have the power to get through life’s difficult moments.
