Recently, I emailed a friend asking for some information. In our back and forth emails, we inquired about family and summer, etc. Laurie told me that her family had just returned from taking their oldest son to college. He's a freshman and it's his first time away from home for an extended period of time. As she ended her email, Laurie said that she, her husband and daughter need to "find our new normal."
For some reason the phrase "new normal" stood out and stayed with me, even weeks later. I kept thinking about how most of us look at change and can squirm and fight it. But thinking about change in the context of finding a new normal seems almost calming, consoling and encouraging.
This is the time of year when children go back to school and families adjust to find a new normal. Last year's routines may not work this year. As children get older, homework increases in quantity and difficulty. Extracurricular activities and friendships vary from past years.
Develop routines but be patient because you may need to make fine-tune and tweak schedules.
This year has proven difficult for many with financial issues and job loss. Not wanting to sound like a Pollyanna, looking through rose-colored glasses to make it sound easy, but during difficult times, finding the new normal is absolutely necessary. We may not like the new normal but it's important to find ways to accept it. That mean taking action to help remedy whatever the situation may be.
When we're faced with illness or the death of a loved one or friend, finding a new normal is a necessary part of life and our daily survival. This became evident to me many years ago when my family went through a crisis with my mother. Our new normal was hospital visits, dealing with medical insurance as well as the day-to- day needs of a home, relationships, work, etc. This was no easy task.
Though I wasn't able to put it in terms of finding a new normal, if I had thought about it in that way, it would have helped put things in a different perspective.
As you find your new normal, your actions and attitude toward change and transition can turn into something quite positive when you least expect it.