Continuing with my Success+You series… Today’s topic is on coping with stressful changes in your life.
Podcast Transcript
Hello, it’s Ollie here. And today I’m going to be talking about coping with stressful changes in your life.
But first, if you don’t know me my name is Ollie Relfe. I live here in the southeast of the UK and I work from home full-time… And it’s a beautiful day to be working from home.
I have been a business owner, caregiver to both dying parents, and I also ran a successful graphic design studio up in London until reaching burnout.
But now I’m building my network marketing business entirely online and of course, working from home.
In other words, no more pestering friends & family, no more cold prospecting at the grocery store, at the post office or even at the Shopping Mall.
And certainly no more driving all over town to coffee bars only for prospects not to turn up for their appointment slot. Not that you can do any of those old-school techniques right now because we are currently in lockdown and social distancing rules apply.
But social media and attraction marketing has been a game-changer for me to build my business entirely online just using my laptop and smartphone. I once went through many life changes myself. But I can choose to view things as a blank canvas and also to explore new opportunities as and when they arise.
So today I am going to be talking about coping with stressful changes in your life…
Let’s be real here. Life is constantly changing around us, in us, through us, and of course about us. It’s inevitable that there will be changes throughout our life journey. Some will be good, some will be bad, and some will be different….Indifferent that is. Some you may like, some you hate, and some simply don’t matter.
Obviously, the changes you like are easy to deal with and you might even look forward to circumstances forcing through welcome changes! What about the changes in life that aren’t so peachy? How do you handle those?
Let’s dive into some of these life transition periods and the best ways to cope with them.
Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.
Hans Selye
Job Loss
Starting off with the biggie right now… Job loss.
Job loss is at the forefront of most people’s minds right now as the global economy crashes very rapidly during the global health crisis. This type of sudden change can be very stressful if you allow it to be. However, by looking at the situation differently, job loss doesn’t have to be stressful at all.
When you’re forced by job loss, try to think of it as a new opportunity to try something new or something you’ve always wanted to do.
Some ideas here are:
The point is to take a step out of your comfort zone and see the many opportunities that now lie before you.
Stepping out of your comfort zone isn’t easy though, is it?
It takes a lot of effort and courage because you are going to be making mistakes, and certainly in the very beginning. When you’re stuck you are stuck in your comfort zone, well, you’re just stuck. And who wants to be stuck? Nobody. Exactly!
So to get unstuck, take a step out of your comfort zone and look at other possibilities instead of stressing over the changes that lie ahead.
Moving
The second biggie is probably moving.
Moving or transferring to another area is always very stressful. That can be a pretty big life change that could cause a lot of additional stress.
The best way to cope with this kind of situation is to look at it as a time to refresh and renew. I know this can be difficult sometimes, especially when you love the area or community that you now live in. And, of course, you’ll miss all your friends, family, and all those places that you are familiar with and you enjoy for relaxation.
Moving away from people you love can be stressful and difficult, but it doesn’t have to be!
You can look at the big move as an opportunity to stretch your horizons, meet new people and also set new life goals.
Your friends and family will still be there, and you’ll still be able to keep in touch with them on a regular basis.
Hey, there’s always Facetime!
But you’ll soon grow roots in new places, and you just might build even stronger friendships and relationships than you’ve ever imagined!
Don’t stress the could haves, if it should have, it would have.
Unknown
Focus on the New Opportunities
There are always positive ways to look at things and when you train your mind to look at change as an opportunity, instead of stressing out about it, you’ll be happier and healthier.
Also, here are another couple of other common life changes that tend to be very stressful, but can be seen as amazing and exciting new opportunities in life:
Unexpected Pregnancy
The first one, of course, is an unexpected pregnancy.
An unexpected pregnancy obviously can cause stress financially, emotionally, physically and not to mention mentally. However, it’s a wonderful opportunity in life!
An opportunity to love a child and give life. A new opportunity to make some lifestyle changes or to give life to someone who can’t have children of their own through adoption, and so much more!
The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.
William James
Children Growing Up
And the second one is still around children. Is when children grow up, a child going off to college, University or fleeing the nest is a huge life change that many find difficult to deal with. I know my sister did.
And once again, look at the opportunities available not only to you but for your son or daughter as well. Maybe you’ll be able to downsize your home, saving you a ton of money each month you can put forward to other things in life.
Or perhaps your bond with your partner and friend will grow and strengthen during this time. Not to mention the growth and experience your child’s going to gain as they grow and mature out in the big wide world all on their own.
How you choose to handle changes in your life will determine how much stress you’re going to expose yourself to.
You can either look at it as a new opportunity… or I guess, a dreadful scenario. The choice is yours.
But the sooner you begin to look at life changes as new opportunities, the sooner you’ll enjoy a less-stressed life!
So that’s it for today’s short video. I hope you found some value there.
And if you are in the process of transition right now, there is an abundance of opportunities out just waiting for you.
So get your mindset in the right place at the very beginning, and the outlook and outcomes can be the best they can be.
Again, my name is Ollie Relfe. For more pearls of wisdom, inspiration, biz tips, and also health tips please visit my blog at ollierelfe.com
So until next time, I shall leave you with a final thought…
There is no right or wrong path. There is only the path that you choose. Whatever you choose, there will be many opportunities for you to grow and expand.
I think that’s all I wanted to say.
So that’s it until next time. I shall see you all on the next video, or this is probably going to be re-purposed into a podcast. And wherever I put that I’m sure I will put a link to my blog as well.
So take care. And stay safe, and stay healthy in these very weird times of this global pandemic and also this economic crisis that’s going to be an aftermath that many of us are going to have to deal with. And will probably change the life for many of us beyond comprehension.
That’s all I wanted to say. So peace out. Until next time.
