Tips to tackle tough transitions

The weather transitions we are all experiencing now with the change of seasons got us thinking about transitions in life. We’ll share a transition with you that we experienced a few years ago.
We heard the lap, lapping of the waves against the shore as if they were trying to sooth our sadness. After a sleepless night, the squawking seagulls and the morning sun reflecting on the water helped us face the day. As some transitions are, it was bittersweet. Bitter, because we chose to leave our beautiful beachfront condo but sweet because we had many wonderful memories of good times there and also because we were able to sell it during the real estate crash. We knew it was a wise business decision to sell but it still was a very tough transition. Maybe you have faced, or are now experiencing, some tough transitions such as job loss, divorce, losing a family member, health challenges, or even positive transitions such as moving, marriage or retirement.
Whether transitions are negative or positive, they can end up being tough and stressful as shown by the Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory. The more changes, the more chance of developing health problems. So, let’s look at some ways to handle transitions to make them easier and less stressful.
First, recognize the reality of the situation and make the decision to be a victor, not a victim. Listen to your gut and heart. You have many strengths. After all, you’ve survived many other transitions. Realize what you can control and what you can’t control. Don’t waste time and energy on negative thinking about the worst that could happen. As much as possible, adopt a positive mindset and get clarity about what would help you tackle the transition.
Remember, you are not alone. You can ask for help from family, friends, professionals and your Higher Power. When you start to take thoughtful action, God and the Universe recognize you’re ready and will bring people and circumstances to help you. Don’t wait for a perfect solution though. If you make a miss-step, forgive yourself and move on. Remember that life is a learning journey.
Since stressful transitions can negatively affect health, you will want to take super-good care of yourself with eating healthy meals, sleeping well, exercising and using humor. An unknown author said, “Laughter is the sunshine that drives winter from the human face”. Doing these positive things for your health will help stave off the health problems that could occur. Also, taking care of yourself will help you have more energy to deal with the challenges of each day.
Be sure to reward yourself for making it through a transition. Celebrate yourself and recognize that your perseverance paid off. Also, it’s important to celebrate the steps that you took along the way to getting through the transition. You did it and probably learned from it, too!
We talked to Del and Melissa Young from Chanhassen who, as realtor and marketing assistant for thirty years, have helped many people with tackling the transitions of moving. They help people of all ages and they shared some tips for seniors who are considering moving. Del offered, “Don’t wait until you are way into your eighties. Speed up the whole planning process. Do not wait until the last minute. It’s so hard on the family and hard on themselves.”
Melissa added, “It’s very stressful to sell a home, to figure out what you are going to need when you move, and to find a place you’re going to live. So earlier is better. Make sure that you are working on that a little at a time rather than being overwhelmed by having to do it all at once and having to bring family members in to help. We always advise people that if they know in the near future or even in a few years that they’re ready to transition to something smaller, and downsize, that they start thinking ahead about that and clearing out the closets, de-cluttering, going through their things and passing things along to family members. Make those decisions earlier because you never know what tomorrow might bring. It could be much more difficult down the road.” Those are helpful tips. It’s never too early to de-clutter.
Here’s a challenge: Take time to recognize the transitions that you want or that could occur and plan ahead for the best results. Use the strategies that we and others have shared to help you tackle tough transitions and reach the successful outcomes you desire.

Chanhassen residents Doug and Lynn Nodland are Success Coaches and owners of The Balance Center. They can be contacted at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2017 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.