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I know from experience that going through a life transition can be challenging, luckily I have my horses to see me through. If you have a horse(s) too, you will know how supportive they can be. If you don’t have a horse, you can use the suggestions below to make life easier:
Always have a good look at what you (still) have that you are grateful for: Friends, family, a roof over your head, and enough to eat…it is more important than at any other time that you express your gratitude as often as you can manage, but at least twice a day. I usually start of by reminding myself how grateful I am to have my horses in my life.
Prepare (when you can). Transitions are not always negative experiences. It could be a wedding, or the arrival of a new baby, or the planned start of a new business… so if you can, make sure that you are as well prepared as possible.
Make sure your expectations are reasonable. You may think a transition is going to be a piece of cake, but very few life transitions are and if your expectations are unrealistic, you may end up feeling angry and frustrated.
Stick to your routines: get enough exercise, eat healthily, keep up your journaling and don’t try to suppress the stress with comfort food or too much alcohol. Go to bed at the usual time, and try not to disturb your sleep pattern too much.
Take it one day at a time, step-by-step, and stay present in the moment. Fretting about what you did that got you into this mess, or worrying about all the things that can go wrong in the future is just going to make you more stressed.
Ask for help. Talk to the people who care about you. Rant and rave, just not on Facebook. Get your worries out of your head and onto paper, if you do not feel like talking to anyone.
Be kind to yourself. Stop criticising yourself. Rather, say to yourself,” It’s normal to feel stressed when going through a life transition. I’m just going to do the best I can, day by day.”
Take time out. Go for a long, slow walk. Sit and watch your horses. Potter round the garden. Read a book that you can get lost in. Listen to music. Bake a cake. Recharge your batteries.
Remind yourself of previous life transitions that you survived. If you journalled at the time, look back in your journal and review your coping strategies. What worked? What can be improved?
Do something for someone else. Those people that you are so grateful to have in your life? Let them know. Send a text/e-mail/ message. Give them a call. Take some flowers/cake/chocolates around and spend some time with them. Thank them for their support.
When to Seek Help
We all have to weather life transition storms from tie to time, and some are more difficult to navigate than others. If you feel overwhelmed, I have written a book that might help, called Embracing Change in 10 minutes a Day. If you can’t manage on your own, you are welcome to contact me to discuss your options, do an online retreat or come to a retreat here in the south of France. If you are so stressed that it is significantly impacting your ability to function, then you may benefit from a consultation with your doctor.
Further reading: Embracing Change and Boosting Resilience
Equine Guided Growth 