Life Transition

Going through big transitions in life can be stressful, tiring and emotional. It’s normal to get overwhelmed and to take a while to adjust. Sometimes, these transitions are so overwhelming that they can start to have a huge impact on our daily mood, emotions and functioning.

This can often occur with transitions that are unexpected, such as losing a loved one, getting fired from work, getting diagnosed with an illness or receiving a substantial injury. However, it can occur with regular life transitions such as becoming an adult, moving out of home, starting university, or getting your first job.

Whatever the case is, if a life transition is taking a huge toll on you and you are struggling to cope with it on your own – it may be beneficial to seek help from a professional. Some of the signs that you may need to seek help include:

• Feeling constantly worried, irritable or stressed over the transition
• Avoiding having to talk about, or take part in it
• Losing sleep over it or having it affect other parts of your health
• Having it affect your other obligations, such as work and social relationships

These and any other symptoms that result from the stress of a life transition can be worked through gradually with a psychologist. They are specialised in providing help to:

• Identify what it is about these transitions that are so difficult to adapt to
• Learn to accept the change and adjust your lifestyle around it in a positive way
• Relaxation training
• Find social supports that can reduce the effect of the transitions
• Providing you with the skills to ease yourself into the transition gradually