Life Changes

• You get up, get dressed, and eat breakfast
• You go to school or work
• You go home, eat dinner, and do something for fun

But sometimes things change.

• Small (like going a different way to work)
• Or big (like moving)
• Some changes can make you happy.

• The sun is shining
• You are having pancakes for breakfast
• Your best friend is coming to visit
• Everyone at work is smiling and laughing
• Some changes can make you unhappy.

• You can’t find your favorite hat
• The bus is late
• Your friend is mad at you
• You didn’t get a letter from your father
• Your favorite TV show isn’t on
• Big changes also happen in life.

• Make you sad, mad, or angry
• Change the way you feel for a long time
• Make you sick (if you let them)

• Moving to a new home
• Changing jobs
• Getting hurt or sick
• When someone you love dies
• When a friend doesn’t want to see you anymore

• You think about it all the time.
• It makes you very sad, worried or upset.
• You sleep a lot or not very much.
• You eat too much or too little.
• You don’t want to do things you usually enjoy.

• Talk to someone about your feelings.
• Exercise every day.
• Learn ways to relax - like deep breathing.
• Spend time with friends.
• Try a new activity.
• Do not use drugs or alcohol.

• Feel very sad for a long time
• Feel weak or tired all the time
• Have trouble sleeping and eating
• Want to be alone
• Have trouble doing every day things

It takes time to feel better.
When a loved one dies, most people feel:

• Sad or angry for months or even years.
• Then they start to feel better.
• It helps to talk about your feelings.

• Talk to a counselor.
• A counselor can help you find ways to feel better.
• Join a support group with other people who are going through big changes.
• In a support group people listen to each other and share ideas about how to feel better.
• You can call your doctor.
  • Call your doctor if you:
  • Cry all the time
  • Feel sad, mad or afraid all the time
  • Feel like hurting yourself
  • Your doctor can help you feel better.
• Sometimes, doctors give people medicine that helps them get through a big life change.
  Remember, it takes time to get used to a big life change.

• Ask friends, family, or a counselor for help.
• Do things that make you feel good - like spending time with friends.
• Do things to relax – like deep breathing.