Managing Stress During Life Transitions: Finding Rhythm in Change
Some transitions arrive suddenly: a new job, a move, a shift in a relationship. Others unfold slowly, seasonal changes, life stage shifts, or long-term growth.
Even when change is welcome, it can stir up more than expected. Maybe your internal rhythm feels unsettled. Maybe there’s a sense that something underneath still hasn’t landed. Maybe part of you is grieving what’s ending.
That’s okay. You’re not doing it wrong. Transitions ask for something of us, and learning to move through them with care can help you land more gently in what’s next.
Why Transitions Can Feel So Overwhelming
Transitions tend to unsettle us in two key ways that our nervous system resists:
The unknown — shifting in ways we can’t fully predict
Rhythmic disruption — routines, boundaries, and internal patterns get nudged out of alignment
So when you experience:
Anxiety or restlessness
Overwhelm by small tasks
Trouble sleeping or concentrating
Mood shifts, irritability
A sense of disconnection from yourself
…these are not signs that something is wrong with you. They’re signals that something inside is asking for attention, healing, and integration.
How to Support Yourself Gently Through Transition
These suggestions aren’t prescriptions—they’re invitations, gentle reminders to care for yourself in the shift.
1. Name What’s Changing, and What’s Still Stable
Sometimes change moves fast, before your mind has caught up, before your body feels ready. It can feel like something is shifting underneath you.
One gentle way to find your footing again is to name what’s real.
You might sit with questions like:
What’s shifting in my life right now?
What feels uncertain, or unsettled?
What’s still here, in me, or around me, that feels steady?
When you can hold both the change and the continuity, your nervous system doesn’t have to choose. It can settle into the in-between, the part where integration lives.
2. Build Routines From the Inside Out
Instead of forcing yourself to jump back into old rhythms or into new routines with strict schedules, try asking:
“What actually supports me right now?”
“Which parts of my routine still feel good?”
“What can be let go, even just for a while?”
Routines are most nourishing when they reflect who you are, not just what’s expected of you.
3. Let Grounding Be Simple
Support doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with what helps you feel rooted in the present moment.
A short walk at the same time each day
Drinking something warm while gazing outside
Stretching before screen time.
Placing your hand on your chest and breathing slowly
Small rituals create stability when everything else feels in motion.
4. Check In With Your Body Before You Plan Your Day
We often make decisions from urgency, habit, or pressure. But your body might have a different message.
Before jumping into productivity, pause and ask:
“How does my body feel today?”
“What pace feels right?”
“What support is needed, rather than productivity?”
Checking in first can help you align your actions with what feels sustainable.
5. Expect Ambivalence, and Hold Yourself Tenderly
Change rarely arrives with one clean emotion. You may feel hopeful and scared, relieved and grieving, curious and resistant, all at once.
You don’t have to feel one emotion over another. Let yourself carry complexity.
Speak to yourself as you would to a dear friend:
“It’s okay to feel this way.”
“I’m allowed to hold two truths.”
“Letting go is slow work; I’ll give myself time.”
Self-compassion isn’t about bypassing discomfort; it’s about holding it with tenderness. Meeting these feelings is part of the healing.
6. Focus on Rhythm, Not Perfection
There’s no perfect way to do this. Instead of chasing “balance”, lean into the ebb and flow.
Allow your rhythms to shift, pause, and renew. Give yourself permission to begin again when you need it.
Your nervous system will thank you.
A Closing Reflection
Transitions invite us to be present to all parts of ourselves, the excited parts, the fearful parts, the parts that ache, the parts that hope, and everything in between. When you allow space for all these feelings, you create a foundation for growth, resilience, and new possibilities to emerge.
You’re doing the best you can, and that is enough.
If you’re moving through a life transition and need support finding steadiness in the shift, I’m here.
Reach out here to schedule a free consultation; you don’t have to figure it all out alone.