Major Life Transitions - What They Are and How to Navigate Them

by Coach Kim Create Your Dream Life

In the beginning, the low pitch transitions looked like leaving home to go to kindergarten, transferring to middle school and then running with the big kids in high school. Many of us went off to college or joined the military - two other major transitions, as we were now faced with people from dissimilar backgrounds and upbringings.

Life regularly requires us to be able to shift from one situation, relationship, or career to another. These changes can be quite disconcerting and even challenging at times. When we're younger we thought - ahhh - to be an adult - boy, they really have it made!

And then we became adults.

We became taller people with more changes beyond our control. Which of these storms have you weathered?

Moving your residence. Leaving a home you’ve lived in for years can trigger many feelings of sadness, loss, and even grief.
Getting married. Deciding to permanently share your life and residence with another person is quite a shift in your lifestyle, causing a lot of change and perhaps turmoil at first, even though you’re happy with your decision to wed.
Having your first baby. Becoming responsible for another life is one of the most awesome, life-changing events you’ll ever experience.
Experiencing a divorce. The termination of a relationship that you thought would last all your life leads to an obvious period of change and turbulence.
Obtaining a new job. Leaving co-workers, supervisors, and surroundings you’ve grown accustomed to can bring great changes to your life.

Losing a parent through death. Losing one of the people you’ve been closest to all your life will trigger many feelings. You might even look at your own existence much differently once a parent passes.

If you’re aware of upcoming transitions you’ll be experiencing, you’ll be in a better position to prepare for it. Applying helpful strategies will then help you manage the shifts more effectively.

As you can see, some of these transitions occur spontaneously and without much warning. Others are, for the most part, orchestrated by you.

Examine these ideas on how you can successfully manage your life transitions:

Plan ahead. When you’re thinking about doing something that will trigger a transition in your life, plan it at a time when you expect other areas of your life to be relatively calm. You have the ability to schedule some of your life transitions.
Space your transitions, if possible. For example, if you’ve just taken a new job in town, it may not be the time to move your residence. Give yourself a year to adjust to the new position before you start looking for a new house. It’s wise to allow some time to get used to one new situation before beginning another. The transition process takes time for adjustment.
Continue with regular routines. Throughout the time of transition, stick with as many of your routines as possible. Routines can bring structure and a certain comfort to your life whenever there’s turbulence from a transition.
Give yourself some “down time.” Because transitions often trigger feelings of stress, it’s important to plan plenty of breaks for rest and relaxation. Taking part in your favorite hobbies or just hanging out around the house can give you time to recharge and help you deal with the current transition.
Reach out to others for support. Recognize that everyone, without exception, lives through transitions. Therefore, you can turn to others to hear their stories of how they got through such changes.

Knowing about common life transitions, planning ahead, spacing upheavals, and continuing your routines are effective ways to cope. Also, taking rest breaks and asking others for support will provide you with what you need to face and deal successfully with whatever transitions life brings.

Keep it All in Perspective,

Coach Kim