5 Pieces Of Advice For Anyone Starting Over (Because Change Is Hard And You Need A Helping Hand)

Moving on. Something a lot of people don’t want to have to do or don’t think they need to do. It can be one of the most crippling situations to affect a person, especially in his/her younger years. It is a natural human instinct to hold onto things, people, or situations that we once loved.

The biggest realization that we may need to have as people is that as our environment changes, we must as well. Now I am not trying to say that people need to change who they are, but they are not going to be able to do the same things over and over again and expect different results. We can be ourselves but we must leave our comfort zones from time to time and put ourselves out there.

As a recent college grad who moved to a new town where I knew basically no one, I have learned this first hand. In places that we are familiar and forced to interact with others (hometown, school, etc.) it is easier to connect with people and get comfortable. That is just the way it is. Once we get comfortable somewhere, it can be a hard task to do something different and new, essentially starting over. Here are five pieces of advice I have for anyone trying to start over or dealing with a big change in his/her life:

1. You don’t have to try and change who you are or what you like.

You might have to try some new things and make more of an effort to meet people, but if you try to change who you are you will not be happy. Be yourself and the people you want to be surrounded with will be the people who stick around.

2. Make a positive change in your life that is for you.

There is no right answer to what exactly this should be. All that matters is that you do it to better yourself. Maybe it is starting and sticking to a regular workout routine, maybe joining a non-profit, joining a recreational sport team, getting involved in the local music scene, or anything that might appeal to your interests and desires.

3. Keep in touch with the people that are important to you.

It can be hard to stay in touch with family and friends that are no longer in the same area code as you. It wouldn’t be fair to expect the other party to put forward all the effort. We all get busy at times and it can be hard to maintain relationships, but if we do our part we will see that those who care about us will reciprocate.

4. Do everything with a positive attitude.

Attitude is contagious, you better believe that. If you have a positive attitude and give off good vibes, people around you are going to pick up on that. They are going to want to be around you and they are going to echo that same attitude. Not only does having a positive attitude affect the people around you, you will notice that you will start feeling better and happier with your life and situation. And please, if you are feeling down, do not take it social media. If you have a real problem, talk to someone you trust, posting it is not going to make you feel better.

5. Practice some type of art or equal act of expression.

We are expressive beings. We need time to take in everything that is going on in our lives and it is super helpful to have a means of letting it out. This gives us a chance to actually think about what is going on and to let it out so we can move on and start fresh. This can also be something different to various people. Maybe writing is your outlet, maybe it’s drawing, or yoga, or meditation, or photography. Whatever it is, allow yourself to inhale and exhale the daily commotion.