How to navigate seasons of change
Even as our world feels never-changing in the midst of lockdown, change is the rhyme and rhythm of life. How then can we navigate these seasons of change well - purposefully and with intention?
Photographer: Lauren Schulz. Stylist: Molly King. Hair & Makeup: Max May. Model: Krini Alejandra at Chadwick Models.
Change is inbuilt into the patterns and the fabric of our lives. Our years are structured on four, consistent seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Whether we are summer-lovers and adore bathing in the warm sunlight or we feel alive when fall rolls around and Christmas is just around the corner; it demonstrates that every season has a purpose. As each unfolds it gives way to the next.
Our lives are ever-changing whether we love or loathe it - some good, some not so good. The change that the end of a relationship or the loss of a loved one brings is both heartbreaking and devastating. On the other end of the spectrum, a wedding or a newborn celebrates new life in an eclipse of joy. And in between, we have the bittersweet moments like moving house and home to a new place filled with new people and new experiences, yet missing what once was.
Change is exciting, but it’s scary too. Crafting a sense of resilience is what psychologists state is the most fundamental way to cope with any change. Luckily, resilience is not born, it is made. Which means we can all work towards being more resilient in our ordinary, day-to-day lives.
Maintaining Rhythms and Routines
Whether we find solace in a to-do list or thrive off the flexibility of working from home, it’s been proven time again that maintaining our daily rhythms gives us a much-needed anchor in times of change. Keeping a few things as a non-negotiable in our days allows us to deal with change in a manageable way. Whether we enjoy a brisk early-morning walk to see the sunrise or we need some time alone with a coffee first thing or we wind down with a good book at the end of the day; it’s essentially the small things that keep us going and gives us the foundation to be able to handle the bigger things.
‘Change is the rhyme and rhythm of life.’
Keeping Relationships as a Priority
The Bible verse 1 Thessalonians 5:11 shares the value of being in community: ‘Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.’ We were never meant to do life alone, which is why change can feel so unsettling. It can feel like the ground beneath us has suddenly been stripped away and we are left to sink or swim - alone. Yet, remaining authentic in what we are going through with our nearest and dearest promises to be a stronghold. As we process and take stock, we are stronger when we do it together.
‘Resilience is not born, it’s made.’
Changing our Perspective
Change feels scary because we are venturing into something new; something we have yet to explore and come out on the other end. We can remain grounded by looking to the bigger picture and retaining a sense of hope. It might look like writing a gratitude list, filled with all the positives that this change could bring or seeking professional guidance from a counsellor to help us walk through the hardest of days. Either way, we can learn from every trial and tribulation as we seek to grow and enlarge our capacity for ourselves and those around us.
‘For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven’. - Ecclesiastes 3:1
WORDS BY
Lizzi Joyner
