“I can’t wait for all of this to be over so life can go back to normal.”
Death of a loved one, tragedy, loss of a job, breakup, the list could go on with several events but they all have one thing in common; life has drastically changed and we are left trying to figure out how to move forward into our “new normal.”
So how do we move forward into our “new normal?’
1) Accept that the old normal is gone and seek to embrace the new normal.
For some it’s impossible to go back because that person or job or thing is gone forever. For others, even if they get the opportunity to go back to what was lost it will not be the same. People change. There will be new challenges to face.
2) Be fully present
I know in my life, I can mentally accept that the old is gone but then my actions say something different. I am not present in the moment. I am longing to get back to normal or at least a semblance because I think then life will begin to make sense.
3) Practice gratitude
This goes along with being fully present because the best way I have found to help me be present in the moment is to be grateful for what I currently have. Instead of constantly looking back at what I don’t have, I look around and appreciate what I do have.
Change is hard. But if we can learn to embrace the new by being present and practicing gratitude, we will begin to see that the new can be better than the old.