6 Ways to Ease Stress during Times of Transition

Change is never easy, but it is a necessary part of life. And while major change, such as a life transition, can be overwhelming, learning how to ease the pressure and lessen the stress will keep you healthy—both physically and emotionally.

In honor of Stress Awareness Month, here are some tips I have found that will make going through transitions a little easier:

Be vulnerable. We usually think of being vulnerable as an act of weakness, but it is a way to tap into your strengths. Give yourself permission to feel what you feel—fear, sadness, excitement—and talk about them with someone you trust. The more comfortable you become with being vulnerable, the more confident you will become in yourself.

Purge. “Throw out objects you don’t use. Stop doing activities that don’t add value to your life. Stop hanging out with people whose company you don’t enjoy,” writes John Fawkes. “Make room in your life—not just time, but also physical and emotional energy—for the things that are important to you.” And while you’re purging, also purge yourself of noise—limit your social media consumption, silence the phone in the evening, turn off the TV and grab a book. Silence is your secret weapon to combat stress.

Balance “yes” and “no.” We all know the importance of saying “no,” but you need to say “yes” to the right things. Anything that drains you of time and energy is an automatic “no”—this helps you preserve time for yourself and allows you to say “yes” to those things that add to your life such as spending time with supportive friends, volunteering, or other things you enjoy.

Become proactive in the process. A good way to start doing this is by eliminating the word “can’t” from your vocabulary. “Stop saying you can’t do things unless they’re physically impossible. Instead, say that you won’t, or that you have other priorities right now,” says Fawkes. Doing this one small thing will help you see opportunities that will make things better.

Be present. During life transitions, we tend to focus our attention on two things: the past and the future. Spending your time thinking about “what if” or “what will be” only exasperates the chaos of change and is what often makes us feel overwhelmed. Keep your focus on the here and now making sure you are doing the next thing right. “If you can accept where you are and take things step by step as they come, the overwhelm will dissolve,”. “If you can accept where you are and take things step by step as they come, the overwhelm will dissolve,” writes Bojana Jankovic Weatherly, MD, MSc.

Create a Plan. Creating a plan—just for how you are going to get through the day--will help you stay on a structured schedule and make you feel more in control of your life. Some things to keep in mind: don’t overschedule, be flexible with your priorities, and break bigger tasks into smaller ones, so you don’t become overwhelmed.

And speaking of plans, one of the best ways you can ease stress is by creating an estate plan. While that may seem counterintuitive since an estate plan often deals with nothing but major life transitions, having one in place will give you peace of mind that everything is taken care of the way you want it to be. Plus, there are often things you can do during the planning process—such as gifting assets while you’re still living or informing your family of your intents—that will ensure your family members are stress-free.