[vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” background_animation=”none” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Retirement, moving home, loss, a big family adjustment such as a new grandchild or even celebrating a significant milestone are all major life changes.

Change activates the conflict sensor on our brains, which causes brain chaos that experts call cognitive dissonance.  This activation of the conflict sensor becomes stressful and could cause anxiety.  The mental health implications during serious adjustments don’t discriminate. Even a change that’s generally positive, registers in the brain the same way as a more difficult event. The brain feels more comfortable with old patterns, and anything new presents a dilemma.  It can induce anxiety, uncertainty, or a feeling of unfamiliarity and this generally precipitates habit pathways in the brain. This means that as soon as you feel stress, you want to go back to old habits.

For all the pain, uncertainty, or joy these major life changes bring into our lives, there’s no doubt they can take a toll on our mental health as we try to navigate our way through uncharted territory.

The brain needs time to adjust, no matter the life event we’re going through. To help the process along and maintain our mental health, we can try a few of the following strategies.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][blockquote text=”For all the pain, uncertainty, or joy these major life changes bring into our lives, there’s no doubt they can take a toll on our mental health as we try to navigate our way through uncharted territory.” show_quote_icon=”yes” text_color=”#dd9933″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” background_animation=”none” css_animation=””][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]

Embrace, rather than avoid the change

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Approaching a change can be like approaching a pool. Is the water cold? Are you going to like it? There are two ways to find the answers to these questions: jump right in or stand there dipping in a toe and recoiling.  We do better if we embrace it rather than avoid it.  You get used to the water much more quickly, and you begin to enjoy myself more quickly, too. If you dip and retreat, you grow increasingly anxious because you think it feels cold and unpleasant.  Embracing the inevitable change assists you get the difficult things over sooner, so that you can settle in and be more relaxed than anxious.

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Make a Plan

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We may not all be planners, but as we work through a major life shift, it’s a good idea to become more organised.  Feeling disorganised can make us feel out of control, which increases anxiety and that unsettled feeling. Getting organised can help you take charge of what’s happening before the change becomes completely overwhelming. Rather than saying, ‘I’ll take it as it comes. We’ll see how we’ll handle this,’ which often increases the amount of uncertainty upfront, make the intentions more specific. You can decrease the uncertainty and therefore make it easier to embrace the change.

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Do Your Research

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To fear what we don’t know is part of being human. The best way to make the unknown known, and thus reduce anxiety, is to learn. Research what you can. Talk to people around you, too, which has an added bonus of increasing human connection. If you live with social anxiety, reaching out to ask one question of even a single person can help you knock down the barriers that social anxiety puts in your way.

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Build In Brain Breaks

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Many times, change takes considerable focus. It may seem prudent to push ourselves into overdrive during these times, but our brain really needs breaks throughout the day to run most efficiently. Build in short naps, structured daydreaming, and doodling. These short creative bursts for your brain, can jumpstart your ability to navigate major change.  When you’re focused, you are essentially collecting the different pieces of the puzzle with your mind, but unfocused time is the time you give to your mind to get these puzzle pieces together.  If you’re going through a change with just continuous focus throughout the day, you are not giving your brain a chance to put these puzzle pieces together.

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Deal With Grief And Loss

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Sadly, many major life changes are events we don’t ask for, such as losing a loved one, or suffering an injury or illness. Both difficult and positive adjustments may feel like a loss, as we let go of one way of being for a new path.  Grief and loss can often be found at the heart of major life changes, especially ones that we have little or no control over.  This can lead to a lot of mental health issues, but the big ones are typically depression and/or anxiety. The grieving process as crucial to navigating change. Grief takes time. It’s healthy to talk about how you feel with others, which normalises that others feel the same way you do, and discussing how these major life changes have impacted their relationships.

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Practice Self-Care

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Self-care is an old standard, but an important one. Don’t forget the importance of self-care, including maintaining a regular schedule, eating healthy, sleeping enough, and exercising.  Often with major life changes, self-care goes right out the window. It can help to choose one thing each and every day that you do just for you and your own well-being such as exercise, meditation, or journaling.

Reach out for help when you need it, whether that’s a trusted loved one who can lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on, or a mental health professional who will support you through any major life transition.

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” background_animation=”none” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_column_text]Helpful reading

Tinker Dabble Doodle Try: Unlock the Power of the Unfocused Mind | Dr Srini Pillay

Life Transitions: Personal Stories of Hope Through Life’s Most Difficult Challenges and Changes | Heidi McBain

Sources: Talkspace.com, Healthyplace.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]