One of the hardest things in life is admitting to ourselves that something has to change. The part that's getting us down and making us unlike ourselves. I know some people don't like change, but I guess you can call this more of an alteration. Once you've made the decision, the rest is easy. How do I know? Because I made that decision.

If you've been reading my blog over the past couple of months, you'll know that I started a new job in Stockport recently. It was an amazing feeling - my boyfriend and I had both just been offered full time jobs. Yes, I had a commute, but it was due to take about 50 minutes and we were both so positive at the time that we didn't think any differently.

That was until a 50 minute commute turned into a 90 minute commute and more likely, a two hour commute.

It was horrible, because I enjoyed my job. But two factors were stopping me - time and money.

I was coming home from work, having tea, getting ready for the next day and going to sleep. There was no time for anything else and that's the part I hated. But even worse than that, I could feel myself changing as a person. Most days, I'd come home in a foul mood and my motivation to do anything decreased, even at weekends. On the money side of things, it was simple - it was just too damn expensive.

My family and I were talking about ways to manage this time in my life, trying to come up with ways to make it better for myself. That was when I got a phone call.

To cut a long story short, another company wanted to hire me. And I accepted. It was a situation where I thought, this has happened for a reason. If I don't change this now, when will I get the chance again?

So for the past week or so, I've been at my new job in Blackburn with a 30 - 40 minute commute. I can already see the difference. I'm not as tired and nowhere near as moody. I wake up more positively and come home more positively. But more than anything, I feel like myself again, which is the most important thing of all.

It's not been easy for my family, which is another reason why I had to make the change. Not only was it affecting me, it was affecting them. My unhappiness spread to everyone and I wasn't willing to let it affect my relationships. They mean too much to me.

Was it a hard decision and process to go through? Yes.

Am I glad I made the decision and went through with it?

Definitely.

I know hundreds of people must go through this all the time. But I also know there'll be some people out there who maybe aren't ready to make the decision, or maybe don't think they have enough courage. So if the time comes that you're ever in this position, I think these little tips will help you out.

Don't be afraid to admit you need to change something. You'll feel such relief once you make the decision. After that, everything else will lead you to getting to the finish line.

Be professional. It's easy for us to talk about why we want to leave and how sorry we are but one of the most important things of all is this - you don't have to explain yourself.

Remember to put yourself first. Don't feel guilty, don't feel sad. Remember why you're leaving in the first place. Think about how it's affecting you and your life. Then think about how much better things will be once the change is made.