How to Cope With Changes in LifeDealing with Personal and Professional Transitions
Most of us have experienced transitions in life both great and small that have impacted who we are today and how we live.
We go through personal changes such as relocating and uprooting, kids going off to college, getting married, having children, and loved ones passing. We encounter professional transitions like layoffs, switching companies, redefinining our careers, roles, or working with new team members.
When it comes to how to cope with changes in life, there’s no single right answer; no one-size-fits-all strategy.
Transitions can be complicated and challenging as they often require us to step into something new, while letting something go. They challenge us to adapt to new circumstances and navigate uncertainty. There’s a loss of familiarity and often a heightened sense of anxiety around the unknown or experiencing something new and has human beings, we are naturally inclined to experience discomfort around change or any disruption of our stability and comfort. Transitions also come with a level of stress and pressure in many cases, especially when related to life events. They can feel overwhelming with new information to learn, process, decisions to make, and tasks to accomplish.
Dealing with personal and professional transitions is a fact of life, and while it may seem overwhelming when you’re going through it, with the right mindset and coping strategies, you can learn to manage the challenges of transitions and come through stronger and more resilient than before.
Transitions come with many blessings and gifts. My goal in this blog is to help you see these more clearly as well as give you three key strategies to help you cope with changes in life with more ease and grace.
Mourn the Loss
A byproduct of almost any transition whether it be a friend your parting ways with or a career change is a loss of some sort. It may be loss of an identity, a loss of a person, a loss of a role, a loss of money, status, or relationships. It may be all of these!
Coping with transitions in life with grace requires us to look at any change and ask ourselves what we’re losing and letting go of. And mourn that.
Mourn it fully, completely, messily. Set aside time (yes, I mean ACTUALLY carve it out) to mourn the moment and all that’s been lost.
Give yourself full permission to cry, whine, feel all your feelings, and sit in the muck of what this change means to you.
I typically give myself a period of time in which I plan to mourn (ie. 48 hours) and I set that time aside to feel the sadness of the transition fully and completely. When I’ve fully mourned the loss, it’s time to take the next step forward.
Give Gratitude
When the mourning period is done, it’s time to start taking action and in order to do that you have to honor all that what you’re leaving behind was to you and brought into your life.
Give gratitude for the salary you had, for the connection and relationships you fostered, for the closeness, for the experiences you had, and the memories you shared. Think of all the positives that came from this time in your life, and consider all the positives that can come out of this change. Find the gifts and lessons from the transition and list them out!
Once you begin to open your eyes to the positive, you begin embracing the change and developing the growth mindset you need to move forward.
Create Your Action Plan (and ask yourself questions!)
You’ve mourned. You’ve given gratitude. Now, it’s time to move forward into action. This depends a bit on the transition you’re going through, but a lot of this comes down to asking yourself some important questions such as:
What now?
What do I want life to look like?
What kinds of relationships do I want?
What role do I want to play?
Having a social network and strong relational support system can be helpful during this portion as you can often lean into your network to help you through a transition and shifting into the next step. They are often the ones that can help you discover your next thing, introduce you to the next right person, and open up to new possibilities. Seek out those who have gone before you to provide you with guidance and mentoring as you adapt to a new way of life and the challenges and learning therein.
Three Things to Keep in Mind when Coping with Transitions in Life
Remember that it’s normal to feel like a beginner again. It’s normal to feel like you’re just getting your sea legs at a new job or as you adopt a new lifestyle, or navigate a new landscape. Be patient and kind with yourself and focus on taking it step-by-step. You’re not behind; you’re right where you need to be.
Evolution is a process. There will always be an element of change and transition taking place in life. Recognize that it’s part of the process and where you’ve been have all brought you to where you are today. This transition could be your next life-changing step forward.
Approach transition with a positive attitude and mindset and it will go a long way in helping you manage stress, anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. Positivity will help you overcome setbacks and failures as you go through change.
Quick Recap: Key Strategies for Coping with Transitions
While they can be stressful and full of uncertainty, transitions are the catalyst in life that hold endless possibility. It’s important to be kind to yourself (and others) during any major change or transition in life, and hold a positive mindset so you can move forward with more clarity and confidence into what’s next for you.
Mourn the moment
Give gratitude
Create an action plan
The changes in life are to be embraced. Look at transitions as an opportunity for growth and development, and the possibilities of where you can end up next become endless.
I wrote this blog because I have personal experience with transition in life and have developed strategies around how to cope and deal with it that I use when working with my coaching clients regularly.
Are you undergoing a career or personal transition in life? Need help navigating to more stable ground? I’d love to give you guidance and support so you can step into your next step effectively and with confidence.
Book a Discovery Call with me HERE!
My strategic advice and encouragement have helped my clients achieve their goals and make life-changing transformation.
