Practical Strategies to Reduce Anxiety When Facing Big Life Changes

Tomorrow is a big day for us as we begin our drive across the country from our Baltimore City townhome to our tiny home in the mountains of Idaho.

This is a big trip because it will be our longest stay in Idaho. We stayed for six weeks at a time in the past, and now we will be there for six months.

We could not be more excited. But with that excitement, there is also anxiety.

Not only are we physically moving and having to pack and bring stuff with us. We are also getting our house ready to rent while we are away for the 1st time ever. And we are running our business!

So, there has been a lot on our to-do list.

At times, it has felt very overwhelming. How can we get all this done?

Other times, it feels so exciting because of all the amazing things happening. I can’t wait!

And where I always want to choose excitement over anxiety, I am a human, and my ego likes to try to push me towards anxiety. It doesn’t like change and wants to make change seem scary.

Oh, silly ego…

The only constant in the world is change, and humans hate it. Part of your brain interprets change as a threat and releases hormones for fear, fight, or flight. Your body is trying to protect you from change. You are hardwired to resist it.

Fun fact: of the 2,807 people who have taken our Core Values Quiz, only 24% rank “Varied Life” as a Core Value.

Now, I have plenty of practices I use to reduce my anxiety, like meditation, breathwork, and movement each day.

These have all been amazing in helping me reduce my anxiety. However, I have realized that when you have a big change coming up, you can use more support because it is really easy to get stuck in your head.

You know those thoughts…

?How am I ever going to get all this done?
?Am I going to figure this out?
?What is going to happen?

It can feel like you are taking crazy pills!

So, while you might not be moving across the country anytime soon, maybe you have another big change coming up. Like switching jobs, working on a new project or people or even going on a big vacation.

Here is what I learned that can help reduce your anxiety next time you have a big change coming up.

• ? Make a list—One of the things that makes me anxious is “thinking” about everything I need to do. I find it extremely helpful to take all that chatter out of my head and onto a piece of paper or app on my phone. So, I made a list of everything I needed to do to make this change possible, and as an added bonus, I categorized those to-dos.When you can see everything you need to do, it makes it easier for you to plan to make it happen. Plus, I love checking things off my list.
• ? Prioritize—After making the to-do list, it was time to start taking action. I found that there were definitely things that needed to be done—as in, this must happen. Then there were often a lot of…well, this would be nice to do. So, after you make your list, get clear and rank the things on the list from most to least important.So much of what can overwhelm you is thinking that you must do everything. However, when you can see what really matters and what can wait, it makes it a lot easier to execute.
• ?️ Do a little bit each day—If you look at your to-do list and see that you have a lot on it, it can feel overwhelming, and you may start thinking about how you can get it all done. I have found that even committing to 30 minutes daily and starting well before your “deadline” can make a big difference. How much I could do in a little bit each day shocked me.
  And as a bonus, I also like to “couple” things. As in, I go into my basement a couple of times each day to hang on a pull-up bar, so on my normal route now, I would simply take something down to store or bring something up to take each time I go.When you take it one step at a time, those little wins can really build up and help you feel a sense of accomplishment without exhaustion.
• ? Schedule time—While doing a little bit each day can be extremely helpful, there will probably be items on your to-do list that will take more time to complete. With those bigger projects, I highly suggest scheduling time to finish those things.When you have those big projects on your calendar, you can plan accordingly and eliminate the worry about when/how to get it done.
• ?️ Give yourself space—One of the biggest lessons I learned last year before our trip west was to give myself space before we left. What that means is not scheduling anything the week before we left. That’s why we have plenty of space for things to come up.When a big change happens, you must take care of yourself. Remove anything that is non-essential and ensure that you have plenty of time for self-care practices.
• ✨ Reflect and be grateful. When you feel like you have a lot to do, it is easy to keep moving from one thing to another without pausing. You do that because you are telling yourself stories about how you still have so much to do. That was me.And why I am so grateful MaryBeth and I have an evening gratitude practice, where we reflect on what we were grateful for that day.
  When we could pause and see how much we “accomplished” that day, it really helped me reframe the story in my head from “there is so much to do” to “I am accomplishing so much.”
• ? Ground in your values. When I feel the clawing overwhelm, that makes me think my head will pop up. That’s a clear sign that it’s time to pause and ground in my values.For me, that is Unity with Nature. So, I made a point to head to the park to watch the squirrels, listen to the birds, and exercise on the playground.Even just a few minutes grounded in your values can give you a sense of inner harmony, well-being, and alignment.

In periods of change, I often reflect on one of my favorite quotes.

“Change is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.” — Mandy Hale

And that pain often pushes you towards your vision. The change that you really want for yourself.

I love Baltimore, but I know I belong in the mountains. I have heard that call for many years, and now I am ready to fully step into it.

So, next time you have a big change, embrace it because…

“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” — C.S. Lewis

?Wanna follow the journey from city slickers to mountain people? We’ll be sharing more of it on our Instagram (@marybethandjames) and YouTube (@sparkvisionnow) pages.

Here are three ways we can help you when you have a big change coming up.

? Knowing and Living Your Values: During my 10-day course, you’ll identify your unique values, see where you’re currently activating them, and make small tweaks where you’re not so that every day is filled with purpose. Join 7,500+ Students Here.

? Alignment Coaching: Want to start being your most authentic self? Work with me 1×1 to align with your core values and ignite more well-being without compromising your impact. Fill out this inquiry form to see if we’re a good fit for one another.

?Hire MaryBeth as a Speaker: Have an all-staff event, annual meeting or conference coming up? I will inspire your audience to give themselves and others, permission to be human, unleashing higher productivity, profit, and purpose through shared values. Learn more here.