Life Transition
LIFE TRANSITION
Life transitions are challenging because they force us to let go of the familiar and face the future with a feeling of vulnerability. Most life transitions begin with a string of losses:
• The loss of a role
• The loss of a person
• The loss of a place
• The loss of your sense of where you fit in the world
Any significant loss makes most people feel fearful and anxious. Since your future may now be filled with questions, it is normal to feel afraid. We live in a culture that has taught us to be very uncomfortable with uncertainty, so we are anxious when our lives are disrupted. On the positive side, these transitions give us a chance to learn about our strengths and to explore what we really want out of life. This time of reflection can result in a sense of renewal, stability, and a new equilibrium.
To some, it may be easy to say:
Change is good!
I want to embrace change!
I want to look forward to the NEW future!
BUT Let’s face it. Change can be hard, especially when it is unexpected.
Maybe you’re going through a life transition such as:
Moving, Break up/ Heart break, Grief/Loss, Retirement, Divorce, Unemployment, Graduation/ Career Development, Aging, Chronic Medical Conditions, Marriage, Career Transitions, Parenting, Graduation
When we are met in a fork in the road to take on a new life stage/ transition, we might feel apprehensive, worried, “frozen” or “stuck. We may not know what the right decision is, or how to move forward when we know in our minds, what the healthy decision might be.
Stages of Life Transitions
Successfully moving through a life transition usually means experiencing the following stages:
Experience a range of negative feelings (anger, anxiety, confusion, numbness, and self-doubt)
Feel a loss of self-esteem
Begin to accept the change
Acknowledge that you need to let go of the past and accept the future
Begin to feel hopeful about the future
Feel increased self-esteem
Develop an optimistic view of the future
EMDR can help with the negative beliefs that stop us from moving through life stages/ life transitions with confidence and ease.
EMDR can help us know in our minds and feel in our bodies that we are equipped to be successful and thrive as we move forward through each stepping stone.