Motivational Monday

Why Change Is Important for Your Mental Health

Spring is in the air here in New York. Spring here means change, the leaves are budding, the grass is growing greener, the skies are bluer, the flowers are blooming, and the wildlife we are blessed with here in the great northeast are preparing for safe birthing locations. Everything here is shedding their molds and evolving into something new.

Change can be scary even if it is positive; that’s the human experience. My clients ask me all the time, “how do you cope?” “How do you implement for yourself?” “Please tell me your secret.” I say there is no secret. Change is scary even for me but I live by one of my guiding principles…..Practice is progress. Progress is growth.

Growth is success.

Change is necessary to improve and thrive. It's how we adapt to our surroundings and grow personally and professionally. It's not always easy to accept change, but it's essential if you want to see positive results. Changing your personal habits can be challenging, but it can be healthy to continue striving for improvement in every area of your life. Change is important and here are four reasons why you should embrace it sooner rather than later.

Change is productive

Small changes in your daily routine can lead to significant results. Increasing your productivity, will give you more time to focus on the important things in your life. Small changes like prioritizing your to-do list, planning your day in advance, utilizing calendars, and eliminating distractions can greatly impact your success. When you embrace changes, you open yourself up to new opportunities to improve yourself. Learning new skills can help you advance in your field of work. If you’re unhappy with your job, you must make a change. 

Change is growth

Change allows you to explore new things and learn from different experiences. This will help you understand more about yourself, your limits, and your desires and ultimately grow as a person. What are your passions and interests? What are your strengths and your weaknesses? What are your skills and abilities? When you embrace change and trying new things, you will begin to discover what you really love and excel in. Learning about yourself guides you to make better decisions about your life and future. Change and discovery can help you find your true calling and discover your path in life. 

Change allows you to try new things and learn from your mistakes.

We all make mistakes and there is no shame in that. What matters is how you react to them. If you accept that change is a part of life and embrace it, you are more likely to try new things. This will allow you to experiment and learn from your mistakes. When you make a mistake, you’re still growing. Mistakes aren’t wrong. They are opportunities to do better and improve. They are educational moments to embrace to help you become more efficient in your daily tasks and be the best version of your future self.  

Change allows clarity

By embracing change, you are able to see what is important to you. This can be anything from relationships to your career path. Change can help you become more focused in your life and know what you want out of it. When you experience changes, it can create a ripple effect. This can affect everything in your life, including your relationships. 

When you change jobs, you may be able to work with new people and create new friendships. This can help you understand what’s important to you in relationships. When you eliminate toxic relationships from your life, you allow room for positive relationships. By seeing the ripple effect that changes have in your life, you are better able to understand what is important to you. This can help you become more focused and know what you want out of life.

The Takeaway

Change is a part of life, and it’s important to embrace it. It allows you to improve and progress as a person, friend, a coworker, a professional. In order to thrive and progress, it’s important to embrace change!

Resources

Dunne, A., Haake, S., Quirk, H., & Bullas, A. (2021). Motivation to Improve Mental Wellbeing via Community Physical Activity Initiatives and the Associated Impacts-A Cross-Sectional Survey of UK parkrun Participants. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(24), 13072. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413072

Lai, X., Nie, C., Huang, S., Li, Y., Xin, T., Zhang, C., & Wang, Y. (2022). Effect of Growth Mindset on Mental Health Two Years Later: The Role of Smartphone Use. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(6), 3355. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063355

Simpson, E. H., & Balsam, P. D. (2016). The Behavioral Neuroscience of Motivation: An Overview of Concepts, Measures, and Translational Applications. Current topics in behavioral neurosciences, 27, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2015_402