These are just some pointers in order to help those who need help with shifting, or are just getting into shifting for the first time.

• Take it slow. Shifting is seldom like what is portrayed in movies-at best, it can take a couple of hours, and at worst, a couple of days or even weeks. Take shifting as it comes, and go at your own pace. Shifting, for some people, is like riding a bike, and it takes practice. While some people do get lucky and end up shifting when they reach a certain age, others need to practice. For some people, it’s not possible to spend thirty minutes once a month on shifting and see a lot of progress.

• Don’t get your hopes up. Which sounds dream-crushing, I know. But if you’re very new to shifting, and want to try it out, you need to be aware of and keep the possibility in your head that you may not be able to shift at all. If that happens, and it turns out that you cannot shift, that’s alright-the world will not end, and you will be able to get by without it, and find alternatives, no matter how hard it may be. Also along those lines, don’t go into shifting imagining and expecting to do things like transform and beat up bullies, that kind of thing. If you can shift, then you can progress from there (slowly, see above) and one day fully shift, but even then, do not expect to shift and be able to just do whatever, whenever, with no consequences. Shifting doesn’t work like that, and neither does the world.

• Keep a shifting diary. In this age of technology, people (especially the younger folk) are often eager to share with others every bit of themselves, and communicating with others can be good, especially when you need outside answers and opinions. But sometimes, it’s best to figure out things in private, especially when it comes to shifting. It’s often a good idea to keep track of shifting and any other related experiences you may have, especially if you’re confused about something, but need to work it out for yourself. An online diary (not a blog, but a site made for private journal entries) is a great way to self-examine in private, without the worry of trolls attacking you, or IRL people coming across a book full of your shifting secrets.

• Self check often, and question everything. Was that a shifting pain or a normal, mundane pain? Was this event caused by me, or was it just a random occurrence? Could there be any other rational explanation for what I just witnessed or experienced? Although some people may be eager to assume shifting is the cause of all their woes and bodily pains, be careful to not get ahead of yourself. Sometimes certain things have a supernatural cause, sometimes they don’t, and have an equally real medical or natural cause. Some things are shifting related, some things aren’t. Don’t be afraid to analyze and check for more mundane causes first, before narrowing it down to the supernatural.

Stay safe, and good luck out there!