I've been avoiding THIS for a decade...

Sometimes we spend more time resisting change, even “good change”, cause we get so scared. We like things to stay “the same” (even if it’s an illusion). 

Change is a psychological rollercoaster experience. We all experienced this with the heartbreaking life-changes of the pandemic.

Think about the ways you resisted changes with COVID. How does this resistance show up in your life right now?

I don’t blame you. Change is difficult, it’s unpredictable. Change can really conjure up some difficult feelings.

When we resist changes in life we stop growing. We stop appreciating the amazing things that change gifts us.

Maybe a move brought new friends, a job switch cultivated new skills and a pandemic formed a new perspective. 

Growth only happens through change. But that does not mean it has to feel comfortable. I think no matter how much change you’ve experienced, it’s always going to be a little jarring. 

I recently made a B I G change in my life.

Something I've been avoiding for over a decade.

But last week, I effing did it.

I booked a flight ticket... 

You might think: "???!!!".

I’m going to Comoros (yes, you have full permission to insert “Comoros” in Google Maps). 

This is my father’s country. My neglected culture, my erased identity. I haven’t been back since he passed in 2013. I’ve been too scared to face the million of emotional n’betweener layers this brings. And what other changes it might bring to my life.

And here I am with a ticket in "my hands" absolutely terrified to go in less than a month. 

The goal is not to get comfortable with change. Don’t expect the dysregulation to go away. The goal is to practice being with it. Can you sit with your discomfort so you can really get to know yourself. 

Feeling dysregulated doesn’t mean you have failed, it means you are human! How beautiful is it that you hold so many feelings and nuance? I know it can be overwhelming, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. 

So, when you start to experience change, maybe now that we are approaching a new season, remember to check in with yourself. Listen to your body and remind yourself “It’s okay that I am struggling with this transition.”

The worst we can do is shame ourselves. Show some patience and grace to yourself as you do with the people around you. 

Take some time to reflect, write this down in a journal or on a sticky note even:

How can I normalize my feelings rather than make myself wrong?

It can be through self-talk, mindfulness, anything, but give it a thought.

Here’s to embracing change and keeping ourselves healthy through it!

Remember that you’re wired to adapt as a human being.

Hug hug,

Noura