Thriving Through Life’s Transitions: How to Approach Change in a Healthy Way

Here are 5 healthy ways to approach life’s transitions, whatever they may be:

1. Identify the change. Recognize the change that needs to happen, or is happening, set a goal, and write it down. Once you have an objective, and know what’s on the other side of change, it’s much easier to hold onto that target and stay the course! Change is hard enough as it is, so if you know what you’re aiming for, it’s much easier to feel good about the transitions you have to go through to get there.

2. Shift your perspective about change. If you can look at change is just a minor challenge or blip rather than a stressful threat, you’ll be able to manage it better. Change can certainly test your daily life and rock the boat, but an optimistic outlook about it will help you focus on the positive rather than spiral downward in the negative. Change is good—it enables us to grow and live a different life!

3. Resolve to overcome obstacles. When obstacles come up, and they will, problem-solve how to overcome them. Identify possible solutions and take quick action to defeat them. The longer you delay action, the great opportunity the obstacle has to linger, take hold and hinder your day-to-day life. Don’t allow challenges to get the better of you. Remember your commitment to this transition and the prize once you’re on the other side.

4. Realize the benefits of change. Change will never go away, so the more adaptable you can be, the better! What is the silver lining to this change you’re experiencing? Looking for the gift in the change will help you focus on getting through it. As you gain confidence in your ability to manage change, you’ll become more resilient, transitions will become easier, and you may even begin embracing change.

5. Find good support. Make sure you have a solid support network along for the ride. Whether it’s your family, a close set of friends, a significant other, or a therapist, having a team of people you feel safe with, and who you know you can reach out to should you feel overwhelmed, will make all the difference in the world. They can be there to talk you through things or cheer you on along your journey to the other side! You don’t have to do this alone.

Change could be the best thing that’s ever happened to you or the worst thing that’s ever happened to you; but your mindset, support network, and resilience during the process will have a great impact. By seeing change as a way to make yourself better, you can actually address it in a healthy way. Change forces us grow as people, and if we embrace it, we can benefit throughout the process.

If you need someone to talk to about the changes in your life, or are struggling to cope with transitions you’ve been forced into, our team of therapists can help. Schedule a free phone consultation to find out if one of our highly-rated therapists could support you through whatever change lies ahead.