This blog was written by Shannon Newman, LFC’s Associate Director

So, I cut my hair.

Not a routine trim. Not a seasonal refresh. I cut six inches off. Then, just a few days later, I went back and cut another inch.

Hair grows back, right? The haircut itself isn’t really the story. The story is why I cut my hair, to go grey.

Now, wherever you fall on the topic of grey hair is completely personal. My own journey started the way many journeys do, with a Google search. And a Pinterest rabbit hole that consumed hours of my time.

How to go grey gracefully.

How to go grey boldly.

Simply, how to transition to grey hair.

What I found was an endless amount of advice, opinions, influencers, and before-and-after photos. Some encouraged a dramatic transformation while others suggested a slow, strategic process. Everyone seemed to have a different answer.

The more I searched, the more I realized I wasn’t actually looking for hair advice.

I was looking for permission, permission to feel natural. Permission to embrace a different way of being.

What I discovered was that this wasn’t really about hair at all. It was about self-awareness.

The decision to go grey became an invitation to pay attention to myself in a different way. What does authenticity look like for me in this season of life?

Cultivating self-awareness creates space to notice our thoughts, feelings, and assumptions. It helps us understand ourselves more fully so we can respond with intention rather than out of habit. When we understand ourselves more clearly, we are often better able to regulate our emotions, navigate change, and show up more fully in our relationships.

Fortunately, through my work with LFC, I have had the opportunity to practice strategies that support self-awareness and they are just as useful for navigating the different seasons of life as they are in relationships.

Here are a few that helped me:

1. Pause and Set Intention

Before an interaction or making a decision take a pause. Even thirty seconds can create enough space to move from reacting to responding.

Hint: I now have multiple sand timers in my office. They help me pause without reaching for my phone or guessing how much time has passed. Plus, for me, sand is calming.

2. Identify How You Feel

Sometimes we spend more energy arguing with our emotions than understanding them.

Hint: Explore an emotion wheel. You might discover that what you first labeled as frustration is actually disappointment, uncertainty, or even grief. Naming feelings often helps us understand them.

3. Get Curious Instead of Certain

When I noticed myself worrying about how others might react to my grey hair, curiosity became a powerful companion.

What assumptions am I making? What do I know to be true? Curiosity about ourselves is just as important as being curious about others.

Hint: Before making a change, ask yourself, “What is my goal?” The answer can reveal far more than the decision itself.

As for the hair? I’m still figuring it out.

There are days I love it. There are days I notice every silver strand. There are days I wonder why I didn’t do this years ago…or why I didn’t wait awhile longer. Taking time to reflect, while cultivating self-awareness, offers me the opportunity to explore questions with curiosity.

Also, for the record, haircuts are significantly less intimidating when you remember that growth happens either way, very similar to self-awareness.