Healthy Ways To Cope With Major Life Changes

Sharing is caring!

Woman standing on the bridge.

Major life changes are bound to happen sooner or later. From a sudden death in the family to losing your job to finding out your spouse wants a divorce, unwelcome changes are undoubtedly the worst kind.

How we choose to deal with very bad news will affect our future. We can clam up and close off from the world, develop unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drug and alcohol abuse, or we can take a stand and take steps to ensure we come out stronger than ever before.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at seven healthy ways to cope with major life changes of the unwelcome kind:

Write In A Journal

Unwelcome life changes that are also unexpected tend to throw us for a loop. The aftermath usually includes a wide range of emotions that can be difficult to process. One of the best ways to manage all that emotional upheaval is to take a pen and write your thoughts and feelings down on paper. Committing to daily or weekly journal entries is a healthy method of expressing yourself when times are tough. In doing so, you process what’s happening without saying or doing anything you may later regret. It may also lead to a better understanding of what should be done in order to reclaim happiness.

Speak With A Therapist

The human brain is the most complex entity ever observed in nature. With this in mind, don’t hesitate to bring an expert into the mix by speaking with a licensed therapist. They have the experience, insights, and training to help you understand how you’re feeling and – more importantly – why you feel that way. While there remain more questions than answers in regards to the human mind – and therapists don’t have magic wands that instantly alleviate you of your negative thoughts and emotions – they can help fill in the gaps that may otherwise elude you in your effort to process what’s happening. In doing so, they provide a road map for your eventual improvement.  If one of your life changes includes recovery from alcohol or substance abuse, you might also consult your therapist about the IOP Program Dallas or a suitable program you can consider.

Have A Good Cry

Hearing bad news that transforms our lives is a devastating experience. Rather than be determined to keep a stiff upper lift, let yourself have a good cry. Whether it’s one time, a few times, or seemingly every day for weeks, crying is good for the soul. It’s also a healthy way to express yourself, despite the unwelcome reasons that lead you to cry in the first place. The main thing is to avoid bottling your sadness and instead let it breathe and unfold naturally. Doing so will help you to have a more balanced and realistic perspective going forward.

Take Natural Supplements

Depending on your mental state, a psychiatrist may prescribe pharmaceuticals to help you feel better. In the meantime, however, consider giving natural supplements and equally organic treatments a try. From St. John’s wort to CBD chewables to calming tea varieties and more, there are many options available. None of them will lead to adverse effects. With this in mind, natural supplements are something worth trying as you work towards picking up the pieces of your life.

Give Meditation A Try

Many people have an inaccurate perception of meditation. It’s not some mysterious process meant to help you levitate and reach enlightenment. Rather, it’s a way to calm your nerves, relax your body, and achieve greater peace of mind. One session is unlikely to lead to a dramatic improvement, but over time meditation may help improve your mindfulness and strengthen your resolve in the process.

Avoid Having A Victim Mentality

While being the victim of someone else’s bad behavior is nothing to be ashamed of, maintaining a victim mentality over time can lead to even further negative consequences. Rather than keep viewing yourself as someone irreversibly damaged by the harm caused by others, take on the mindset that you have full control over your life. Sure, nobody is completely in control of their destiny, but refusing to accept that you are forever disadvantaged is the first step to moving on in a meaningful manner.

Focus On The Positives

It’s easier said than done to the point of being seemingly cheap advice, but there’s a reason we’re always told to focus on the positives. As the saying goes, it could always be worse. That means you probably have at least one or two things in life you can look at as positives despite the recent negatives. Use your journal to write them down. Do so every time you make a journal entry. By reminding yourself of the good things in life, you slowly stop caring so much about the bad ones.

Sooner or later, we all undergo a sudden and unwelcome change in our lives. The anger and sorrow that follow are normal emotions. But nobody deserves to wallow in misery forever. We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to pick ourselves up and make an earnest effort at moving on. It probably won’t happen overnight, but give it time, and you will find yourself rising above adversity and looking forward to better days ahead.

Julie Steinbeck is a freelance writer from Florida. She enjoys writing about business, finance, health, and travel.

Sharing is caring!

Speak Your Mind

*