Learning to roll with the punches of change [guest post]

The latest in the Defining Moments series Changes category comes from Catalina Godinez.

Listening to Mercedes Sosa’s Todo Cambia calms me or at least I like to think so as I feel my lower eyelid twitch with anxiety.

When Libby asked me to be a guest blogger on the theme of change I was terrified.  I wasn’t sure what I could say on this particular theme because I’ve been an expert at avoiding change and letting things fester.

It’s only when the Universe twists your arm so hard you yell MERCY and you’re forced to change whether you want to or not. The more you resist the process of change the harder you will feel the changes in your life. I personally have been resisting change and have been howling for months.

My most recent encounter with change came in January when my boss called me into his office and nonchalantly told me I was getting laid off. I walked out of the office numb, sat on a park bench and cried. What was I going to do now?

When you are tossed into the uncharted waters of change you either swim, sink or thank the Universe you at least have a life vest to keep you afloat until you wash up on to the safety of shore.

Change sometimes comes all at once. I thought nothing else could possibly go wrong after losing my job. It wasn’t until I found myself at the grocery store looking for Pine-Sol that I realized my career path, health and relationships are a mess.

Something must change NOW! I could feel the lagrimas and babas coming on. These types of changes require you to learn to hyperventilate gracefully in public. I crawled out of the aisle determined to step into my power and take responsibility for the changes occurring in my life.

The flip side of these changes is that it’s forcing me shed my skin and become a stronger better version of myself. I’ve also discovered that in order for me to get through these life changes I need to nurture myself.

The following is a list on a few suggested tips for empowering yourself during times of change.

Practice Self-Care – Life is stressful enough. When change occurs it can take an emotional, physical and spiritual toll leaving you feeling drained. Make sure you practice self-care during times of change. This can range from getting your nails done, a massage or aligning your charkas whatever it takes to fortify you and make you feel good and grounded.

Don’t Create the Crisis – Sometimes change leaves us frazzled and frantic. According to writer Pablo Coelho “the Universe conspires in your best interest.” With this in mind take a deep breath and walk through life’s changes calmly.

Don’t Dwell On It – When we constantly dwell on our fear of change it creates what I call mind rot. Yes, just like the show the Walking Dead it will eat you if you let it. While we can’t change the past we do have some control over are present so focus on the now.

Take Action – Don’t let change cause mental paralysis. Life’s changes sometimes take us by surprise and when they do you must take action. In other words, make decisions not excuses and keep moving.

Write It Out – While a friendly ear is always welcomed sometimes you need to pour it on to the page. Purging my feelings and creating a road map to navigate life’s little bumps in the road always make me feel better because as someone once said, “el papel aguanta todo.”

No Seas Orgullosa – We all have our quirks and some of us are more prideful than others. I confess I’m one of those people. During times of change if you need help ask for it because now is not the time to let your pride get in the way. We can all use a helping hand now and then.

Create Mantras – During times of change in our lives we could all use some encouraging words. Your mantra can be funny or serious whatever gets you through it. For example, mantras I like to use are “make decisions not excuses” or “pa’lante sin tembladera.” I use them to bring intention and focus into the changes that are happening in my life.  You can put them on a sticky note and post it some place where you will see it often or email them to yourself.

While I’m still neck deep in change I hope these tools will help you navigate the changes in your own life. Do you have other tips? Please share them in the comments section.