Last week, Tony and I got on an airplane for the first time since the pandemic began. We went to visit Family. On our way home, due to a connecting flight, we sat on a hot tarmac in the middle of North Carolina, waiting to take off for Pennsylvania. And though, it wasn’t one of those awful situations you hear about on the news where people get stuck on a plane for hours,
It felt like we were waiting forever.
While Tony fell asleep next to me, I read. Then from my seat, I looked around the plane. Finally I turned on Spotify and listened to music. All before the pilot came over the loud speaker and said,
“Prepare for Take Off.”
As soon as he did, there was a small flurry as the flight attendants found their seats. Then suddenly, we were moving. Within seconds, our plane was rushing down the runway, picking up speed for takeoff. And I thought, this is exactly how change feels. One minute, nothing is happening. The next, life is going so fast, we can’t keep up.
Within seconds, our plane was rushing down the runway, picking up speed for takeoff. And I thought, this is exactly how change feels.
For many of us, this is what fall feels like. Summer lulled us into a simpler routine. The last two months, we’ve had less commitments outside of work. We had staycations. Some of us traveled. But now, real life is picking up again. And to some degree,
We’re all facing change.
Our jobs are going back to in person—or remote—working. Our kids are attending new schools for the first time. Fall activities or engagements are beginning to fill our calendars. Our parents are getting older and for the first time, we’re trying to figure out how to be there for them more. We’re in the midst of adjusting to a schedule that is entirely different from what it was a few weeks ago. And, it’s a lot.
Often we don’t realize the gravity of the change we’re undergoing. We expect ourselves to jump into our fall routine like it’s nothing. It’s not.
Only, though we feel the stress and anxiety rising within us, often we don’t realize the gravity of the change we’re undergoing. We expect ourselves to jump into our fall routine like it’s nothing. It’s not. In big or hundreds of tiny little ways, our whole lives are changing this month. That is why today, I want to remind us of three important truths about change:
New routines take time.
Just as it takes time to build up our endurance when we want to run a race, forming a new schedule is a process. Many of us are entering a new season of life where we’re working at different times, adding in a commute, or changing our jobs altogether. We’re returning to social commitments we’ve been away from for over a year. It’s important to remind ourselves, we’re not going to adjust overnight.
Frustration might actually be grief
Whenever, I enter into a new season, for the first few weeks or so, I find myself getting frustrated. Sometimes, even the littlest things can get me upset. Only, over time I’ve realized the source of these feelings are often what I’ve lost in the midst of the change. The workout routine I have to alter. The meet ups with friends that can no longer happen the way they have been. Even good change can bring hard losses, so it is good to pay attention to our frustrations to discover their true source.
You’re not failing.
In the first few weeks of a new season, it is common to forget things, miss an appointment or two, and even be late when we’re trying to be early. If things don’t go smoothly this month—it’s not a reflection of you, your effort, or whether you will succeed this year. These things are a symptom of change. When you can, give yourself grace. Give others grace. Soon enough, you’ll have your routine down. For now, just show up the best you can.
Where are you feeling stressed or frustrated this week?
What changes are you facing this season?
What does it look like to give yourself grace?
Friends, I am back and getting into the swing of things since taking August off. If you want to know more about how to survive this change of season, or about what’s been going on with me (what I’m reading, listening to, etc.), subscribe to my email list here, and receive my Five Ways to Declutter Your Mind PDF for free!
Photo by Anete Lusina from Pexels
