By 
Whether you’re an empty nester using Melbourne storage units to hold belongings while you downsize, or a New Yorker who’s pivoting careers after the loss of a loved one, few times test resilience as much as major life changes.
Adaptation is rarely simple when all that’s familiar to you transforms before your eyes. Discomfort, stress, or even grief may arise during these times as you work to rebuild a sense of normalcy.
Rather than simply holding on and hoping to survive rocky periods, your best bet is to proactively arm yourself with valuable coping strategies. Below, you will find five proven approaches that can help you regain solid emotional footing and process change constructively.
Accept what you can’t control
Although it’s important to identify and focus on what you can control, it’s equally important to accept what you can’t. Remind yourself that the timing, nature, and outcomes of certain events aren’t determined by you. As difficult as it may be to surrender your sense of control, accepting this difficult truth can lighten your internal load. It frees up mental bandwidth to focus on optimal reactions and logical next steps that are within your power, rather than fighting a reality that’s not.
Strengthen your support network
Many people isolate themselves to deal with major life changes and stressors. Although a bit of alone time to sit and reflect is certainly helpful, resist the urge to completely isolate. Instead, nurture or expand your network of close friends and family. By sharing your vulnerability with trusted friends, you open the doors to empathy, validation, and comfort at a time when you need them most. You also get a healthy reminder that you’re not alone.
Be grateful, mindful, and positive
Just like alone time, a small amount of pessimism is fine. Unfortunately, pessimism can take over completely when you’re going through major changes. So you must take active steps to prevent it from overwhelming you.
Cultivate a sense of gratitude by expressing thankfulness for what you still have rather than dwelling on what you’ve lost. In addition, consider taking up a mindfulness practice such as journaling, meditation, or yoga to calm and stabilize your mood. Limiting the time you spend “doom scrolling” news, social media, and other content can help boost positivity as well.
Break big goals into manageable milestones
Rather than fixating on a vague “someday in the future” goal, funnel your energy and focus into practical game plans with manageable milestones. Break up long-term adjustments such as getting comfortable in unfamiliar roles or environments into doable monthly, weekly, or even daily micro-goals.
As you check off small tasks on to-do lists, you get a quick confidence boost that builds momentum. Measure that progress and celebrate the feeling of moving forward rather than lamenting how much farther you still have to go.
Practice patience and forgiveness
Acknowledge that adapting well to major changes rarely happens overnight. Ups and downs are to be expected, even on the smoothest ride back to “normal.” Instead of pushing it along too fast, speak kindly to yourself and expect good days to be mixed with a few setbacks.
Focus your self-critique on gradual lessons learned rather than big perceived failures, especially when your stamina and sense of positivity waver.
Major life changes aren’t easy to get through, nor do they fix themselves overnight. However, by accepting what you can’t control, building your support network, being grateful and mindful, breaking down goals, and practicing patience, you can smooth out some of the discomfort along the way.
