People hate the word ‘routine’, but to be totally, completely, incredibly honest? Routines can be awesome. I routinely see my friends at school, where we routinely get to hangout and talk and make plans for the weekend. My routines are where I get to do all the stuff that actually makes my life pretty awesome sometimes.

If that routine gets changed… I get pretty upset, honestly.

So what happens when routines change? And not just a little, but a lot? School might be closed, or I might not be able to see my friends. Perhaps a family member gets sick, or maybe I’m in a new place completely?

The truth is, I totally get these changes to our normal routines can be hard. Here’s some things I try to do to make things a little easier.

Acknowledging that things are changing

Be honest with yourself! If what you used to do all week is suddenly different, we can’t keep going on and pretending like nothing happened. So, how about you take some time to acknowledge that life has changed and what it means for you.

It’s okay to feel

Even when we accept things, feeling upset about it is totally fine. Many things are beyond our control. Accepting takes time, so give yourself a break to process how you feel. Trust me, this really helps!

Talk about it

After we understand that our feelings are valid, we can talk about it with our parents, our friends, or even in our diaries. Sharing can help lift our worries.

Find priorities

For a lot of people, keeping your brain busy with stuff to do allows you to deal with big changes a little easier. Whether school work, hobbies, or even physical fitness: try to find stuff that makes you smile in your day, Remember, this is different for everyone, so don’t worry if yours is different from a friend’s.

“Old” routines and new ones

Ok, so maybe there’s some routines you just plain do not want to let go of. That’s totally normal. Adapt the old to the new! Miss talking with your friends at school? Set a date for a video call or an SMS check in in the afternoon.

Look for the silver lining

Life is nothing but change. We get older, our interests grow, our skills get sharper and our world becomes bigger. Change isn’t always fun, but it is always a chance to experience something new.

Change can be hard. Give yourself love and acceptance, and just do the best you can.