A disruption in the homeostasis of life often creates a need or desire to control as many internal and external circumstances as possible.
Deciding to leave a job, start a new profession, join a partnership, grow your family, relocate to a new city, care for an aging or ill loved one, grieve the loss of a spouse, cope with a chronic illness, process divorce or separation, or prepare to be an “empty-nester” can be quite an adjustment for individuals. A disruption in the homeostasis of life often creates a need or desire to control as many internal and external circumstances as possible. For instance, individuals may envision what life will be like in a new city but then come to find that certain expectations are not as achievable within the original time frame. This reality may evoke feelings of anxiety, disappointment, and depressive thinking and stymie the process of coping with the change in a healthy and productive manner. Some individuals may even experience sleep disruption, changes in eating habits, begin abusing drugs or alcohol, or feel incredibility hopeless.
Life transitions may be unexpected, or even when planned, can cause one’s purpose in life to come into question. Our therapists at Metta Psychology Group can help you plan a course of action to take the necessary steps towards achieving a greater level of control over the unknown’s life is presenting. Developing healthy coping mechanisms is a first step to this process. This includes identifying and accepting emotions, reframing thoughts, accepting change and that which you cannot control, managing stress more effectively through self-care, setting realistic expectations for navigating life’s transitions, and strengthening support systems.
Working on improving your general state of happiness takes effort and time. As you begin to confront and accept these life transitions, practice consciously choosing to be happier each day. This practice will help with your journey to improving overall happiness as well as make each individual day feel better.