Change is scary, unknown and different. I often ask myself: How to embrace change.

How to embrace change. That’s one good question. Even when it’s good, making a change is difficult. When I was younger I always thought I hated change, no matter what kind, but then after high school I made a radical change when I decided to move to Toronto for college.

These days, my job requires me to be very flexible, you never know in what country you’ll end up. And you know what? change doesn’t scare me anymore like it used to. It’s a natural process. We need to change and experience challenges in order to grow.

Why am I talking about change so much in this post today? Because I just moved apartments. Same roommate, same stuff, same life, just different home. And although I’ve been looking forward to this move for quite some time and now I am thrilled of the way the new apartment is starting to look, leaving the old house left me with a feeling of disconcertment.

I think this feeling comes from knowing that this was my first place in the big city that I lived in as a grown up and that I actually called home. It was the stepping stone towards something bigger and better.

And now that the change has been made it’s time to embrace it and move forward. But how do you actually embrace change?

Here are some tips I follow to keep myself from stepping backwards.

• Remember that you can handle any challenge life throws at you:

Change, either good or bad is necessary in life. It’s what drives us and molds us into becoming who we truly are. Always remember that you can handle any change.

• Nothing stays the same forever:

We can’t stay in the same place, or condition forever, being stuck in a rut is as bad and probably worse than going through a radical change.

• Talk to your family and friends about your worries:

Confiding in my family and friends has always helped me so much. Especially in moments of extreme confusion. Even if you decide not to take their advice, just the action of talking to someone and expressing your thoughts out loud will help you out. Coffee dates are the best cure for the fear of change!

• Stay positive! Everything will work out!

I can be a very positive person when I’m not stressed out, but when my worries get the best of me, then my thoughts switch to a negative connotation. I have to remind myself to breath, relax and keep a positive mindset, because my negativity will most certainly not change the state I’m in. Maybe it’s time to take a yoga class?

These are a few of the tips and thoughts I follow to get through difficult stages in life. Embracing change is hard, but it can be done.

How do you handle change?