Life Transitions: How to Cope and Transform Change into Opportunity

The uncertainty of a life transition can be scary. Even if you have time to prepare for an upcoming change, it elicits so many different feelings, like self-doubt, grief, and worry, as you wonder what this new period in your life will bring. If a life transition comes unexpectedly, the shock and suddenness of it can add to the toll that change takes on you—mentally, physically, and emotionally.

As your mind starts to assimilate change, you might be flooded with questions and uncertainties that seem to almost obsessively linger on your mind.

“Will I be able to handle it?”

“Will I fail at this new endeavor or challenge?”

“What if I don’t have what it takes?”

“What if I’m not strong enough?”

“Will I look back and miss my old life, wishing things would go back to the way they once were?”

Life transitions leave you with so many questions. The answers will only be revealed once you are living and experiencing the actual change. Until then, it’s a mystery that leaves you in suspense and in a state of constant thinking and anticipation—or worse: fear and anxiety. However, successfully navigating these thoughts and emotions is very possible and achievable.

Begin with leaving room for the possibility that the life transition you are facing can bring greater opportunities for you. Even if you don’t see it right now, consider that it is a possibility later on, once you have adjusted to the transition. Consider that this time in your life can lead to progress—to reaching greater heights of personal or professional success. Opening your mind to the idea that opportunities rise from change is an important first step in your ability to successfully cope with life transitions. If your life transition involves some form of loss—or losing something that will be replaced with something else—remember that many new beginnings in life involve relinquishing something—sometimes even losing something, or someone, that is dear to you.

You must then allow yourself time to grieve what you have lost or what you are losing, leaving behind, or saying goodbye to. Grief allows you to heal from any emotional wounds caused by life transitions and healing then allows you to accept what is. At this point, it will become easier for you to welcome change and see some (or many) of the positive aspects of your life transition.

Coping also involves taking a step back and seeing the bigger picture. In the midst of change, continuously ask yourself: what is the greater purpose of this transition or what it could be? This life transition might feel like more than what you can handle, and it is natural to feel this way. However, it won’t always feel this way. If you can see beyond the hardships and challenges, you will be able to envision yourself having undergone an important transformation. Change builds character and resilience. It makes you stronger and allows you to prove to yourself that you can make it through discomfort; you can overcome fears and doubts and emerge a new and better you.

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