Need some advice

I got the game a while back and started playing but quit after a while due to the learning curve/difficulty. Recently I got back into it and have been enjoying since I've watched videos explaining the game. I am on a colony that's lasted 37 cycles (not much but it's my best) and it's fully sustaining itself, plumbing, plenty of oxygen, food, etc. But I learned that I've been playing on the hard/hardcore difficulty instead of the one recommended for new players. I wasn't sure if I should continue with this colony or just start a new one on the easier difficulty so I could get a better understanding of the game, unless there's a way to change difficulty in-game.

Assuming people will be wondering how I "accidentally" played hard mode when you choose at the start, I assumed no sweat made the game incredibly easy and survival was the base version, and I wanted a challenge so I chose survival.