Task 6_Transition

A transition is any event in life that alters your plans, your place in that plan, or your sense of purpose. Transitions can be stressful, and come with feelings of fear, anxiety, and anger. Coping mechanisms and self-care can help you navigate life transitions successfully. It may be cliché, but if there’s one constant in life, it’s change. We all change as we get older and go through different seasons in life. But that change, and the transitions it brings, can be really stressful. While transitions can be stressful, apprehension about the transition can even be scarier than the change itself. But by recognizing the transition period you’re in, understanding why it’s challenging for you, and having coping mechanisms to get through it, you can learn to successfully navigate the various transitions in your life.

Typical Feelings During a Major Life Transition

All of it brings a level of uncertainty that’s roiling with a gamut of uncomfortable feelings, thoughts and physical sensations. Even if a change is expected and welcome, we can be beset with anxiety, self-doubt and fear. That’s the thing about transitions. They’re landmarks in our lives and as such we deserve to be present for them, to experience them fully and to become wiser for having weathered them.

How to be Mindful in the Midst of Life Transitions

Being mindful in the midst of life’s transitions can help us move through them with a more clarity, insight and even kindness. While we think of mindfulness as the practice of paying attention to the present moment with nonjudgmental awareness, it’s also a worldview replete with attitudes that can help us shoulder life’s vicissitudes. One hallmark of mindfulness that’s particularly helpful during the uncertainty of change is curiosity.

Prepare In Advance (when possible)

Over the course of a lifetime, a person can expect to experience most of these transitions.  So, when possible, it’s ideal to be able to prepare emotionally and mentally in advance.  This can help alleviate as much stress as possible, help avoid any downward spirals of negativity, and help make the impact on your personal and professional life as minimal as possible. The risk of not preparing for impending change is that it can lead to fear and overwhelm.  For example, a woman getting a divorce after 30 years of marriage can be paralyzed at the thought of having to be the sole income provider or manage her own finances. So, rather than working to find solutions to these fears, the danger is that this worry becomes all-consuming.

Expect To Feel Strong Emotions

Whenever we move forward, we leave something behind, and this creates some degree of grief. And if the change is unexpected and unwanted, like a death of a loved one, a sudden layoff, or an unwanted breakup, the grief will be stronger.  This can lead to depression and anxiety.  The comfort zone you’ve known is no longer accessible.  The unknown ahead can cause worry.  The key is to know these emotions are coming and that they’re normal.  Don’t fight them.  Instead, acknowledge them and let them have their place.

Get Support

It’s tough to do anything on our own and that’s especially true when it comes to major life transitions.  Seek out a friend or relative who has successfully made the transition you’re making.  Lean on friends and family for emotional support.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  And, of course, it’s always wise to seek out the help of a professional therapist.

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