Dealing with Change

I’ve just received some very exciting news. I have been offered a teaching position in Tokyo, Japan.

As mentioned previously, I’m a teacher who specializes in working with English as a Second Language (ESL) students, particularly young learners. My favorite ages are between 2 and 6 years old. I worked in Tokyo a couple of years ago and truly enjoyed the experience. I really looking forward to going back.

This will be a major life change. I’m single, with no children, so it will just be me making the move. But packing up my entire life and heading across the ocean is a big deal. I’ll be moving to a country where I don’t speak much of the language and am unable to read or write. And while Tokyo is a fairly easy city to navigate with only the most basic of language skills, it is not without its challenges.

Now, you might not have anything quite as dramatic on your plate, but I’m sure you can relate to having life changes that cause you some stress. Whether it’s changes at work, things happening at home, starting a new business, selling a house, or any of a thousand other possibilities, there’s no way to get away from it. Change happens.

Typically, I have a habit of dealing with stress by going and finding something to eat, preferably involving chocolate. And maybe I’ll try to take my mind off of things by going out to dinner, even heading to a movie. But this time, as I’ve been feeling the pressure of getting ready to go, instead of opening the fridge, I’ve been opening the front door instead. When I need a little break, I go for a run, hop on my bike or take a long walk to clear my head.

Another way that I found to relax is by taking a bath with the Wrap Yourself Slim Marine Bath Soak Salts which came with my complete body wrap kit. I haven’t been sleeping very well, sometimes I have a hard time falling asleep, or I wake up early in the morning and can’t fall back to sleep again. This has only added to my level of tension and stress. So I thought that I would try relaxing by taking a nice long bath before bedtime.

I filled the tub, put in several tablespoons of the bright blue crystals and ran the hot water. I found a couple of candles to put into the bathroom and selected some nice, soothing music to play on my ipod. I considered bringing in a book, but decided instead to give my mind a break as well. The only thing that I needed to do was nothing. Just lay in the tub and let the minerals soak in.

I made sure that I had nothing else to do after the bath too. I even brushed my teeth before I got in.

Soaking in the hot water in near darkness was lovely. I was able to completely relax and let go of all of my worries.

After the bath, I dried off, put on my pajamas and went to bed. It was the first time all week that I slept soundly until seven a.m. I found myself well rested in the morning and had a very productive day.

All of my Wrap Yourself Slim products are in plastic bags packed inside of my suitcase. I’m very excited for this move. And I know that I can make the transition even easier by taking good care of myself. I want to stick to my healthy diet, maintain my exercise program, drink plenty of water and keep doing my wraps and baths. By keeping up with these healthy habits, I’ll be ready to face anything that life throws my way!

What are some of the ways that you cope when you are going through life changes or a period of stress? Feel free to let me know in the comment section below.