The fear of change can be crippling. I have never seen myself adverse to change, but obviously, there are varying degrees. New shoes? Yay! New hairstyle? Good. New sheets? Ok. Moving away from your family, your friends, your church, your dream house, and all the familiarity you have known your whole life to go to a state where you literally know no one? Eh… When I moved from Indiana to Texas, I was forced to face this question head-on: Am I still ok with change?

The fact is, even if we aren’t ok with change, it is going to happen. It is inevitable; it cannot be avoided. What can be changed is our attitude toward it. Do we brace for impact and expect the worst, white-knuckling the whole time? Or do we try to find the lessons and joy in the season we are in? If you are like me, chances are at different points in the journey of change, you may feel all of these emotions. It is perfectly normal to feel afraid or to doubt, but it is up to us to change our mindset so we don’t stay stuck there.

If you find yourself in a season of big change, here are some things that I did to help transition through in a healthy way:

1. Find gratitude in all circumstances. It is easy to circle the drain of negativity, but there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for! It can be as big as you want, or as small as hearing a song you hadn’t heard in a while. If we look for things to be grateful for, we will find them.

2. Get outside. Oftentimes, when we think the sky is falling it is because we are living in isolation. Going out in nature reminds us we are just one small part of a much bigger planet that is interconnected. Other people have problems too, some bigger than yours, some smaller. It is also a good reminder that seasons change both the literal ones, and the seasons of circumstance.

3. RELAX! Things always have a way of working themselves out. One of my favorite quotes by author Barbara Brown Taylor is, “New life starts in the dark. Whether is a seed in the ground, a baby in the womb, or Jesus in the tomb, it all starts in the dark.” The perspective that some of the best things have beginnings that can feel scary is reassuring to me while I wade through the messy middle part.

4. Find a community of people to support you in this season. As humans, we all have the same need to connect with other people. By sharing our stories, we realize we are not alone. Creating and cultivating friendships can be difficult, but there are so worth it!