Authored by Elena Stewart
As humans, change is inevitable. In fact, most people experience major to minor life changes about every 12 to 18 months. Massive changes (or lifequakes), on the other hand, occur about three to five times per lifetime. Some of these changes are welcomed, chosen, or expected. Others are unwelcomed, imposed, or unexpected.
Change also tends to fall under one of two categories: positive or negative. Examples of positive changes might include starting a new job or dating someone new, while the death of a loved one, divorce, or job loss are just a few of the negative changes many of us will experience in our lifetimes.
Even when positive changes occur — like getting married, starting a new job, or buying a home — change can be difficult. Take having children, for instance. We may want to start a family and expect our new baby to arrive in nine months, but that doesn’t make adjusting to parenthood any less challenging when the time comes. Any type of life change can be stressful, and dealing with good or bad changes takes time.
To help you navigate five common life changes, check out these tips from The Parkey Group. You’ll learn how to cope with the challenges of having children, buying a home, starting a business, receiving a medical diagnosis, and changing your career.
Change #1: Having Children
Whether you’re having a baby, adopting a child, or becoming a foster parent, there are many changes to adjust to when welcoming a child into your life. For instance, your body might change for the long term and you may notice changes in the relationships you hold with your partner, spouse, family, and other loved ones. You may struggle to get the sleep you need, keep up with housework, and work out at the gym or prepare healthy meals like you used to.
To help you cope with these types of changes, try the following:
● Join a support group for new parents.
● Look for help where you can, whether it’s with childcare or housekeeping.
● Napor practice self-care when your baby sleeps.
On the other hand, if you are struggling with fertility issues, you may also experience a lot of stress, anxiety, and depression. The therapists at The Parkey Group help people work through many issues, including fertility and maternal mental health. Don’t be afraid to seek help as you work through difficult situations.
Change #2: Buying a Home
In addition to having children, buying a home is a positive change that brings on a great deal of stress. There’s the stress of saving up for a down payment on a home, hiring a real estate agent, and completing other important steps in the home-buying process — like setting your budget, checking your credit score, and gathering the information your mortgage lender will need to approve your application for financing. There’s also the stress of putting in offers on multiple homes, completing an appraisal, negotiating with the sellers — and of course — adjusting to a new home.
To adjust to your new home after moving in, try cooking your favorite meals, playing a few familiar songs, and diffusing your favorite essential oil blends. Unpacking your belongings and filling the home with all your favorite things can also help to make your new house feel like home.
Change #3: Starting a Business
Starting a business of your own is exciting. But like any major life change, it comes with its challenges. After all, what are you supposed to do when you’ve quit your day job and don’t have an office to commute to each day? To help you adjust to life as an entrepreneur, start by writing a business plan, setting up a home office, and using tools and apps to structure each workday.
Online formation services are another great tool for new businesses, making it quick, easy, and affordable to register a limited company in your province. By starting a limited liability company, you’ll take advantage of benefits such as pass-through taxation, limited liability, and management flexibility.
Start setting up your marketing as you wait for your business to become official. You can set up social media accounts, develop a website, and get your business cards printed. This site may prove to be helpful if you want to avoid a graphic designer’s fees and design the card yourself. You can find tons of beautiful templates that are all customizable. Just find what best fits your business and branding, make some changes, and start networking!
Change #4: Receiving a Medical Diagnosis
While having children, buying a home, or starting a business are considered to be positive life changes, something like receiving a medical diagnosis is just one example of a negative life change. Your medical diagnosis might affect the way you work, live your life, eat, or exercise — and it could even impact your personal relationships in some cases.
To cope with a life-changing medical diagnosis, you might consider joining a support group, asking loved ones for help with daily tasks, learning as much as you can about your medical condition, and working with a therapist. Physical therapy can also be helpful for those with chronic illnesses, as it can increase mobility and flexibility while also helping to manage pain.
Change #5: Changing Careers
While changing your career could improve your life for the better if you’ve been unhappy in your job for some time, shifting your career likely won’t be easy. It takes time, energy, and sometimes several years of schooling to successfully change careers — and for this reason — many people stay in jobs they dislike simply because they lack the skills, motivation, and confidence needed to pursue new opportunities.
Once you have a clear plan in place, you might consider enrolling in an online degree or certificate program — or taking skills courses through websites like Coursera or edX. You might also be able to find mentorship programs in your desired field or gain relevant work experience through volunteering in the community.
Change is a Natural Part of Life
Despite being challenging, change is a natural part of life. Things change from the moment we’re born: we learn to walk and talk, make friends and build relationships, and transition from one grade to the next in school. As the years go on, we mourn the loss of pets, grandparents, parents, and other loved ones; we graduate from high school and leave home; and we learn to live on our own for the first time. We get married and divorced, raise a family, and eventually, leave the workforce for retirement.
Whether you’re buying a home, trading in your 9-to-5 job for entrepreneurship, or transitioning to a new career, these are normal life changes that should be celebrated. Change is a normal part of living, and embracing change will help you to grow as a person and improve your life overall.
The Parkey Group is home to therapists and counselors who support individuals through various life changes, including situations related to relationships, motherhood, trauma, business challenges. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you navigate your current life change.