Wow this past year has been crazy. Looking back to who I was a year ago vs today, life has changed so much for me. Last year I lived with my parents in Burnaby and now I live in Tsawwassen with my Aunt and Uncle. Then covid happened and fast forward to today, I just graduated. Like what. Life happens fast, and sometimes it is hard to process changes. They say people are scared of change, but it’s actually the work that needs to be done for the change to occur that makes people afraid. This is because when we think of change, the first thought we have is the outcome. We set these expectations of the end result that we miss out on enjoying the process. We can also look at our goals in this way. By focusing so much on our “destination” we miss out on the experiences, and lessons along the way. There are two types of changes, planned and unplanned. A planned change could be moving schools, joining a new club, dying your hair, etc. These are easier adjustments because you expect the changes. Then there are the unplanned changes, like covid -_-. Changes like these can cause feelings of stress, feeling overwhelmed, and fear. The scary part about change is 1. not living up to the expectations you have set for yourself 2. not knowing what to expect. Sometimes, there are moments in life when change is inevitable. Personally, I think this is the hardest one to experience because when you know change is coming, you have more time to feel anxious. For me this was graduation. Graduation is a bittersweet experience because it is a celebration of your accomplishments of your past 5 years in highschool, but simultaneously you know that it is the end of this chapter of your life. HOwever, we can also see this as the start of a new chapter :) Moving forward with life is a difficult process and honestly a hard concept to accept. And it is natural for us humans to feel self doubt, anxiety, and fear when change is to come. An example of this can be moving out of your parents home. But when once you can start accepting change, you can adapt and learn. Some reasons why people struggle with moving forward is because letting go of the past is hard, and holding onto old habits and patterns is comfortable. It is important to remember that change is inevitable. Life is always changing, and as humans we must constantly adjust, if not that's when feelings of staticity arise. This happens when you don’t feel like anything significant in your life is happening, like you’re just existing. Feeling this way is normal, but if it's prolonged, it can lead to signs of depression. To maintain happiness and live a life thriving, we need to adapt to changes, and embrace the process. Without change, there is no growth. When you hold an open mind to the shifts in your life, keep a focus of what is ahead and hold onto positive life lessons, new paths get created. Here are some tips to remember to help move through change: 1. forget the past There's this quote that goes “never compare your life to what it was yesterday”. Basically remember that experiences are a part of your personal growth and to utilize them. Don’t look at the negative moments as something that holds you back, but rather as fuel to move you forward. Letting go of the past allows you to be present and ready for a fresh start. Releasing any toxicity/ negativity can help create new perspectives and focus. 2. support Don’t feel that you have to go through things alone. Find someone you can go to that encourages your growth. Through new opportunities, you can create new goals, meet new people and gain different perspectives that boost your life quality. 3. find escapes Remember that having bad days is not a sign of weakness. ANd that it is okay to feel overwhelmed with change. Finding escapes such as meditation, nature walks, or reading can be helpful to take your focus away from any negative energy 4. patience Change can happen slow or fast, but just because it doesn’t work out in the beginning doesn’t mean it never will. LEt change run its course, be gentle with yourself. For the seniors in this class, whether you have a plan or no plan, just know that you will be okay. Don’t stress and just have fun please. FOr the rest of you, good luck senior year babes. Semester system is coming and she’s gonna be interesting for you.
Kaysey H
15 Comments
Emily
6/9/2021 10:43:04 am
This was written so nicely and kept me engaged , and it’s the perfect topic when it comes to the year that this has been. I think no one was prepared for change as enormous to completely change your life. However I really liked the points you made , personally having a good support system like you mentioned has been so important with friends and family . I also keep looking forward and now with the vaccine roll out I can see the end, which is so important to not reflect on the past !
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Riley
6/9/2021 11:32:41 am
WOW Kaysey!!! this blog has so much meaning and thought put into it! I loved your examples of how to cope with different change. I also really liked how you mentioned what planned and unplanned change was because things can just happen in life and we need to have some guidance to navigate them. Then planning change to make sure life isn't a complete unknown to what tomorrow will look like. Super job u nailed it! :))
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Kaya
6/9/2021 11:43:01 am
This was a very well written and thought out blog. And your topic was a topic that I connect to. I have dealt with planned changes before, like moving here from north van. But I have also experienced unplanned changes as well. And it’s a hard thing to embrace and overcome. I found your tips to help move through change very helpful and clear and will be helpful for when I have to deal with an unplanned change again.
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Brianna S
6/9/2021 01:27:03 pm
I found this blog interesting, I liked it! You mentioned that one step towards the future is forgetting the past. I just wanted to go a bit deeper on that little piece because throughout high school there’s been a lot of things I tried to suppress; thinking that it was the only way to move forward. This year everything I’ve suppressed has slowly been remembered. I have changed and grown since then, but if I had instead of trying to forget the past tried to accept that it happened and move forward, I would have grown quicker and in a healthier way. I love your tips on moving forward though, and just think adding the concept of accepting and moving past rather than forgetting is a great addition to your tips :)
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Caiti Scales
6/9/2021 01:27:26 pm
Yes I absolutely relate to the stress and uncertainty about what comes after graduation and how leaving high school is a little bit terrifying. I especially enjoyed your point about there being change you are prepared for and change that shakes up your whole world. I think I'm prepared to graduate and leave sass but I will definitely be using your tips about how to handle change this summer while preparing for university.
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Devon
6/9/2021 01:28:35 pm
Thank you for sharing Kaysey! I enjoyed reading your blog, I liked how you highlighted that not all change in our lives is planned, which I feel has been a theme during this year with covid. Graduating feels so weird! I'm still wrapping my head around that everyone from this year in our grad class will now be moving on to different things and many different places, it's odd to know that most of us won't be in tsaw come September.
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Cole
6/9/2021 01:31:20 pm
I really enjoyed this blog and I feel like I can relate to it because I have found it very hard and weird to navigate all the changes happening to our lives right now. I like the tips you left for us so that we have an easier way to navigate through change because I don’t think our lives will start having less changes.
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Jenna
6/9/2021 01:37:44 pm
This blog is so important and relevant especially right now for all of us. With graduation and moving away from the house and being independent from our families it can be really stressful when you consider all of the changes we will go through. Changes are great and essential for growth, I think the best way to deal with changes is go with the flow and live in the present.
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Lucy Greene
6/9/2021 01:39:19 pm
loved this blog, i feel that alomst everyone can relate t this with covid and the pandemc putting a wrench in everyones plans then all the grade 12s graduting. loved the tips they are super helpfull i think people tend to not know how to manage change and your ideas will rely help
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avery
6/9/2021 03:09:59 pm
Wow i thought this was a really great blog i loved all the effort you put into it i can tell it was well thought out and its really relatable with everything going on in our lives right now (especially graduation for all the grade 12 students) Ill take note of your tips!
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Tyler L
6/10/2021 06:51:31 pm
I really liked this blog because change is something that makes me very uncomfortable. Reading those tips I feel will really help me because I always go into change with a negative mind set and I feel like the mindset is the biggest part of change. Also I really liked how you talked about the different kinds of change because some things we can't control for change and that is when everything get's very stressful. But thank you for sharing this with us I really enjoyed it!
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Kiana Birk
6/16/2021 10:22:22 pm
Thank you Kaysey for sharing! I appreciate you discussing how the change of this year was for you. I believe this is something we can all relate to. I absolutely agree that when we have an open mind we begin to notice shifts in our life. Things begin to change because we are open to new ideas and new ways of thinking. I also appreciate the tips you have included as they were very helpful to read through. One tip that stood out to me the most was “Forget the past” . I believe that this is important because how can we move on if we are still pondering what has already happened. We must move forward and think ahead. Thank you again for sharing your story.
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Gurleen
9/16/2022 02:03:28 pm
I definitely find this article very relatable and as a person who has gone through a tremendous amount of change it is hard and very exhausting. Thank you for sharing you're experience with us. I also love the fact that you put tips in your article to help everyone. Its very thoughtful.
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Anooj
9/16/2022 02:07:30 pm
Having moved to Tsawwassen from Toronto, this resonates with me. We must move forward if we want there to be change.
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anna
9/28/2023 01:58:08 pm
Wow... this bog really meant a lot to me and I think was really great for me to read right now. Grade 12 is starting and frankley Im terrified to move on to the next chapter but this helped a lot and put it into perspective.
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