Coping With Major Life Changes Tips

What to expect: Total upheaval.

Does life feel topsy-turvy right now? Has your world flopped upside down? If you are going through a major life change—whether it’s a move, a career shift, a relationship change, or a new family dynamic—you might be experiencing a cocktail of chaotic symptoms:

• Scattered thoughts that feel like static.
• Forgetfulness (missing keys, missing appointments, missing… everything).
• Feeling ungrounded and floaty.
• And of course, the rotating door of stress, anxiety, & fear.

That sounds bleak, doesn’t it? Why would anyone willingly sign up for this?

Here is the truth: Big changes come with big waves of emotion.

I don’t list these symptoms to scare you. I list them to validate you. If you are aware that these “spectacular elements” are part of the package, you can stop fighting them and start moving through them.

These reactions are often signs of heightened stress rather than something being “wrong” with you. To reduce stress, you can try these quick grounding techniques.

The “Am I Just Getting Old?” Trap

When we are in the thick of change, it’s easy to get stuck in the mindset of “I don’t know what’s happening to me” or “I’m losing my mind/getting old.”

Please hear me: You are not losing your mind. You are simply under a heavy cognitive load.

Staying stuck in self-judgment only adds internal stress to an already stressful external situation. It keeps you stuck in the mud. Instead, try to stay lighthearted about the mistakes. Give yourself the grace to be messy. The more you beat yourself up for forgetting the keys, the bigger the experience remains.

Welcome to the “Hiccup Period”

I call this phase the “Hiccup Period of Change.”

Leading up to a final transition, you will likely experience a week or two (or sometimes a month) where small things just go awry. You drop things. You trip. You double-book. These are just hiccups.

This phase simply depends on the degree of the life change and your current capacity to manage it. It is not permanent. It is a symptom of growth. 

These moments can be invitations to listen more closely to what your body needs.

Shortening the “Lag Time” on Laughter

When you are in the Hiccup Period, try to find a sliver of a silver lining. Even a faint glimmer of goodness goes a long way.

• Forgot your keys? Maybe that 5-minute delay kept you out of a traffic jam you didn’t know about.
• Slept through an alarm? Your body probably desperately needed that rest.

Humans are human. Most of the time, people understand when a reschedule needs to happen. But the real work is in how you treat yourself in the aftermath.

Ask yourself: How long until I can see the humorous side of this?

We often laugh later about the “crazy story” of how everything went wrong. But can you shorten the time between the bad event and the laugh? It used to take me days or weeks to find the humor. Now, I’m pretty proud if I can turn it around within 24 hours.

How to Anchor Yourself

When the waters get choppy and the hiccups start happening, remember: This is normal. Your brain will come back to you. The waters will calm down as you settle into your new life.

In the meantime, lean on your toolkit:

• Breathe: When the anxiety spikes, return to your breath.
• Break it Down: Take regular breaks and chop big tasks into bite-sized pieces.
• Seek Support: Talk to friends and family. You don’t have to do the heavy lifting alone.
• Understanding and managing transition anxiety can go along way.
• Using creative outlets to process change can also support regulation as you adjust to new routines.
• Grounding techniques can help your nervous system settle and bring you back into the present moment during intense times.
• Additionally, you may be interested in how what you wear can support your shifting identity. 

Give yourself time and grace to get through it all on your own timeline. You are doing hard work, and you are doing just fine.

Go forth to make waves and big changes.