August 30, 2011

Coping with Change and Transition in Life

Life is always at some turning point.
~Irwin Edman~

Transition and change are a part of life and the human experience. All of life is ever changing.

Transition and change come in many forms and can be sudden or gradually evolving, stressful, pleasurable, or a mixture of both!
We change our relationships, jobs, where we live, sometimes our values and beliefs, our goals in life; as well as changes in health. With transition and change comes some type of adjustment, roles and responsibilities can change with changing life circumstances.
The more organic transitions in life are obvious, the cycle from birth to death. In fact all of life is made up of ‘little deaths’. As we transition through life we let go of childhood for adolescence, through to our old age.
There are many positive aspects to change, these include:
  • new experiences and opportunities
  • stimulation for new ideas and ways of thinking
  • new strengths such as more self confidence
  • change helps you to prioritise and problem solve
There can be many different emotions and feelings associated with change and transition depending on life experience, situation and circumstances. Some of these might be: fear of the unknown stress and/or anxiety depression anger.
Symptoms associated with these feelings or emotions can be:
  • tiredness or lack of sleep
  • lack of concentration
  • feeling pessimistic
  • feeling overwhelmed
Some important positive strategies for coping with change and transition in life are:
  • to stay flexible
  • caring for your physical and emotional health
  • maintaining your life flow by keeping some kind of ‘routine’
  • staying in touch with friends and social networks
  • using stress reduction techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, breathing exercises
  • starting a wish list of new plans and goals to fit your new circumstances
  • embracing the new changes
  • taking it one step at a time
  • keeping your sense of humour
  • talking to helpful people, such as a counsellor or someone you can trust
  • not allowing yourself to be vulnerable, staying safe in whatever way you need
We cannot stop change, it is a necessary part of our lives and helps build resilience physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. Even though change at times can be painful and difficult we can usually find something positive from the experience.
If you are having difficulty accepting or transitioning through change in your life, our professional counsellors are trained facilitators of learning and change who can guide you to making better decisions and help with problem solving.
To make an enquiry or find out more about our services, please see our website www.enoughisenough.org.au or contact our office on Ph: 9542 4029
Deborah, Counsellor at Enough is Enough

Positive Life Change



We must learn to view change as a natural phenomenon - to anticipate it and to plan for it. The future is ours to channel in the direction we want to go.. we must continually ask ourselves, "What will happen if.." or better still, "How can we make it happen?".
~Lisa Taylor~

The big question: What exactly do you want to change about your life? Click here.

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