Change Is Scary, but Here Are 10 Reasons Why It Can Be a Good Thing

“Change is good.” That’s something we hear all the time, but when we’re in the midst of it, it can be nerve-wracking — even when the change is positive.

Whether you’re dealing with a big life change (like a big move or a new job) or a lot of smaller changes, there are a lot of reasons to embrace change. As the saying goes, “the only constant in life is change” — so there’s no time like the present to learn to embrace it.

Here are 10 reasons why change can be a good thing.

Change can help us gain a deeper understanding of ourselves

While sticking with one routine can be comfortable, routines also hold us hostage in a way, keeping us from learning more about who we are. When we’re dealing with change, we have no choice but to start to understand ourselves better — even if that just means gaining a deeper knowledge of how we handle change. And hey, learning something new about ourselves is always a good thing.

Change helps with personal growth

Along the same lines, change helps us grow. As “safe” as a life without change can feel, it also leaves no room for big, exciting, life-altering things to occur. When change happens — whether self-inflicted or not — we’re pushed out of our comfort zone, and that's where all the magic happens.

Change makes life exciting

No, change isn’t always comfortable, but it does make life exciting. It shakes up our routine, makes us think in new ways, and opens new doors. 

Change makes time slow down

Think about how you feel when you’re on vacation. In some ways vacations fly by, but time on vacation can also feel slower than “normal” time simply because you’re doing something different from what you normally do. Change works the same way: It shakes up our routine, making us experience time differently than we usually do.

Change can enhance our gratitude practice

Change shakes up our lives, helping us hit the reset button and shifting our perspective. When we get a perspective shift, it can make it easier to practice gratitude, whether that means gratitude journaling or more time spent feeling a deeper sense of gratitude in day-to-day life. 

Change energizes us 

Change can help fill us with a renewed sense of energy. When we get a new job, for example, it might help remind us why we entered our specific career field in the first place. When we take a big leap of faith — like moving to a new city where we don’t know anyone — the empowerment that comes with making that decision (not to mention exploring a new place and making new friends) can be energizing.

Change can be a great catalyst for forming new habits

When you’re trying to form a new habit — like eating better, reading more, or exercising and meditating every day — a period of change can be a great time to get started. When we’re removed from our normal routines, good habits are more likely to stick, and bad habits are easier to get rid of (but of course, a habit tracker always helps!).

Change helps create a more flexible mindset

When nothing changes, it’s easier to stay in a fixed mindset where we always want certain things done in a specific way and have a hard time changing up our routine at all. Change forces us into a flexible mindset and one where we’re more willing to go with the flow. A flexible mindset also helps us embrace future change, rather than resisting it.

Change helps remind us that storms do pass

When we’re going through a tough time, it can feel like nothing will ever change. But that’s simply not true — storms do pass, and things do change. When we go through a life change, whether it’s one of our choosing or one we’re forced into, we’re reminded that everything passes and changes eventually — the good and the bad. 

Change can boost creativity

When we’re stuck in a creativity rut, change can lead to a boost in creativity since it helps challenge the way we normally think, rewiring our brains for new challenges and new methods of thinking. 

Remember, as uncomfortable as change can be, for the most part it ultimately leads to positive life changes and new waves of thinking — and it also helps open new doors. Try to embrace it!

Want more inspiration? Here are 99 of the Best Simple Pleasures In Life.