Life is full of change, and with change often comes anxiety. Being able to rely on yourself in these moments is a superpower. It gives you independence, confidence, and clarity, helping you move through life with calm and purpose. But how do you build this skill, and what can get in the way?
When Change Brings Anxiety
Think of these moments:
- You’re asked to give a last minute presentation at work.
- A rail strike leaves you no choice but to commute.
- A family emergency disrupts a full day’s plans.
Your body reacts. Fight, flight, or freeze kicks in. Your mind may spiral. These automatic responses are designed to protect you, but they often increase anxiety and don’t help when quick thinking is needed.
Using Yourself as a Resource to Handle Change
Knowing your strengths, weaknesses, learning style, and coping mechanisms gives you an edge in managing change. It allows you to:
- Tap into your internal resources.
- Decide when to rely on yourself.
- Know when and how to reach out for help.
Your body’s automatic reactions want to keep you safe—but they don’t always solve the problem.
Preparing for the Unexpected To Reduce Anxiety
You can’t predict every surprise, but you can prepare yourself for change. The more you know yourself, the more confidently you can respond, reducing anxiety and finding solutions quickly.
Understand Yourself For Positive Change
Self-knowledge isn’t fixed. Life constantly presents new challenges, and each change offers an opportunity for positive growth. Every experience adds to your “internal toolkit if you take the time to notice and reflect on it.
Here’s a practical way to start:
10 Steps to Know Yourself
List your qualifications.
List your physical skills.
List your emotional and mental skills.
List your coping mechanisms.
Note major challenges or life changes you’ve faced.
Reflect: How did you handle them? What strengthened you?
Consider: What could you have done differently?
Identify skills, qualifications, or experiences you’re missing.
List people you can rely on and why; they complement your skills.
Pause, breathe, and ask: What is my one superhero quality, and why?
Why Self-Knowledge Reduces Anxiety and Supports Positive Change
The more you trust your abilities, the better you handle life’s challenges, reducing anxiety and embracing change with confidence. This self-awareness supports positive change in all areas of life, whether it’s:
Earning more money.
Managing chaos.
Getting healthier.
Setting functional boundaries.
Organising the trip of a lifetime.
When you know yourself, you can navigate change with calm, clarity, and confidence. You become your own strongest resource.
And yet, some parts of ourselves feel unhealable, and they can quietly hold us back from living fully. You don’t have to carry that weight alone.
Take the Next Step Toward Positive Change
I offer free, one-on-one conversations to help you explore what feels stuck, heal what feels unhealable, and step into living your life completely—whole, not in pieces.
Ready to reduce anxiety, embrace change, and make positive change in your life?
