Navigating Emotions During Life Transitions
Navigating emotions isn’t a detour, it’s the path forward after a life-altering transition. Life transitions can stir up emotional and mental Shift-Storms™. Storms of feeling lonely, unsupported, and adrift in life.
When everything changes you feel off kilter, and life just kind of spins around you leaving you to wonder what the he** is happening?
Slow the Spin and Find Your Center
This is the time to slow down. Don’t just jump at the next thing that pops up. Be especially careful and judicious with your energy and commitments.
We all have things that we must do everyday, do them with intention and focus. Those other things that come flying in, assess them before jumping into action.
In the Jewish tradition, they have a practice called Shiva. When someone passes, the family of the deceased literally does NOTHING for 7 days. They just sit and allow others to take care of them.
Marriages have the practice of a honeymoon. When a couple gets married, they go off on their own for a time of rest and communion, with no other responsibilities than each other.
Ancient rights of passage required a time of isolation and reflection so that the person had time to adjust from one state of being to the next. Girl to woman. Boy to man. Single to couple. Couple to single.
Transition Takes Time and Tenderness
What this shows is that we, as humans, need some time to adjust to our new circumstances when a life transition happens. The amount of time really depends on the type of transition and the person going through it.
For example, in formal etiquette, women who lost their husbands would wear black for up to two to four years, after which she was welcomed back into society in lighter colors.
The point is, we all have to take some time after a sudden transition to acclimate to the new normal. Emotions run high and people don’t really know their place anymore.
When we give enough time to let the dust settle, we find our new positions in this newly formed world of ours and begin to move forward with confidence.
But sometimes it all comes rushing back and sends us for a loop again. This is where having a group of people who understand the storm really helps. Groups for people to grieve, heal, and/or grow.
When you are surrounded by folks who have been or are currently on the same journey as you, you gain the knowledge of those ahead and the ability to learn as you help those behind. You are no longer alone in your shifting and have a community to lift you up.
Feel It All to Move Through It
So, give yourself some grace. Allow yourself to break down, cry, scream, and feel all the emotions. That is your body’s way of moving through the Shift-Storm. Emotions are ethereal motions, that is all. They are just waves flowing through the universe and paving the way for new growth. They show up, you feel them, and move forward towards your BIG Dream.
Emotions can feel messy during a life transition, but they are your internal compass. When you allow yourself to feel without judgment, you unlock the wisdom in each wave. The tears, the laughter, the confusion, the relief… it’s all guiding you somewhere new.
If you’re ready to explore what your emotions are really telling you and how to move through the chaos, download the Navigating Shift-Storms™ guide. This free resource will help you reflect, release, and realign with your dream, one feeling at a time.