Life Transitions and Their Impact on Mental Health

Common life transitions that can lead to working with a counselor include experiencing separation, taking on a new job or unemployment, going through a family death, and other emotional experiences that impact your thoughts, mood, and behavior.

Difficult life transitions can cause people to feel that they are going in cycles and not effectively addressing the issue taking place. Our Greensboro counseling practice actively engages in professional counseling training aimed to equip the counselors with the tools needed to support individuals with life transitions.

Common life transitions include:

• The passing of a family member.
• Starting a new job.
• Employment.
• Divorce or separation.
• Receiving a medical diagnosis.

3 Ways Life Transitions Affect Mental Health

1. You experience an increase in stress and anxiety

Life changes, whether they are positive or negative, can cause stress. The stress can be felt in the mind and body. When facing life transitions, people may experience anxiety symptoms such as fear or worry about the future.

The uncertainty that often comes with life transitions can lead to an increase in anxiety. The increase is due to the inability to predict what comes next in life.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, life transitions like relocation, separation, and major life changes impact levels of stress. Research shows that major life changes, like relocating or changing careers, can elevate levels of stress and lead to generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) if left unmanaged.

2. You may experience an identity shift because of the transition

Major life transitions often bring about a change in how individuals see themselves. For instance, you may for a strong part of your life have been married. The life transition of separation leads to a change in your identity. This can be very difficult and often impacts mental health.

Another common life transition that impacts identity includes becoming a parent, being forced to experience a career change, retirement, or the passing of a loved one.

According to the American Psychology Association, mindfulness plays a key role in being present. This article is shared to highlight the importance of holding consistency in identity. The journal, the National Library of Medicine, speaks on the impact of life transitions by noting loss and trauma. Experiencing a life transition that impacts identity can also negatively affect mental health.

Working with a counselor can provide a safe and non-judgmental space to work on navigating life transitions while addressing unwanted mental health symptoms.

3. You may experience relationship strain because of life transitions

Did you know that life transitions can put a strain on relationships?

For instance, a couple that is through the birth of a child may experience tension to adjusting to the new roles. This can also take place with people that take on new roles in life that require a change to the relationship. The workforce can be seen when you move from an entry-level position to a leadership position. The new role may require you to shift your relationship dynamics with those around you.

The challenges that are experienced with life transitions can exacerbate unwanted feelings of loneliness and contribute to mental health issues like depression. Counseling can provide a space to navigate these changes and maintain healthy relationships.

2 Coping Strategies For Life Transitions

1. Seek Professional Counseling

Speaking with a counselor at Santos Counseling can help kids, teens, adults, couples, and families process their emotions and develop coping strategies during life transitions. At Santos Counseling, we proudly serve Greensboro, NC, and the surrounding Triad area, offering counseling services for kids, adults, couples, and families. We’re here to support you every step of the way.

A mental health counselor can provide guidance on how to manage stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental health difficulties that may take place. If you’re ready to improve your mental health, address the life transition, and navigate overwhelm please contact the counseling office.

2. Build a Support System To Help You With the Life Transition

A wonderful place to start with is your support system. I encourage you to begin working on building a support system. The support system can include yourself with family, and friends, or support groups can provide comfort and help ease the burden of a major life transition.

The benefits of a support system:

• Help with coping skill practice.
• Improve your mental health.
• Increase resilience.
• Improve self-esteem.
• Improve self-confidence.

3. Practicing self-care can help with navigating life transitions

Incorporating healthy habits and coping skills was found to show ample positive benefits to mental health. According to an article from Johns Hopkins Medicine, having coping skills that are to be of use can support a person’s overall mental health.

The practice of mindfulness, in particular, has been shown to lower stress levels and improve emotional well-being. This benefit was discussed by the American Psychology Association, with a focus on mindfulness meditation.

At Santos Counseling, counselors are trained in mindfulness practices and other evidence-based approaches aimed to help people find success in their mental health journey.

People Also Ask:

What Is a Life Transition?

A life transition is a change that takes place in life. The change often is one that is heavy and significant. In reality, everyone experiences life transitions to some degree. Some life transitions are exciting. Such as expecting a child. While for other the same life transition can be extremely difficult and leave a person uneasy.

One common life transition that was very difficulty for many individuals all over the world, was COVID19.

Why Are Life Transitions Challenging?

Life transitions are difficult because they are often unexpected and impact people in core areas of life. For instance, unemployment is a life transition that can be very difficult on a persons mental health. This is due to work being tied to a persons identity, financial needs in life, social status, and stability life. A helpful read on the topic of unemployment and mental health can be found here with Penn State University.