Resilience During Transitions

Aug 24

Boon Coach, Tricia Gehl

The landscapes of our lives are ever-changing. From embarking on new career paths to entering and exiting relationships to trying to master new skills, each transition presents us with a unique set of challenges and opportunities. During periods of transition, our ability to adapt, bounce back, and thrive amidst uncertainty is fueled by one of the greatest human superpowers: resilience. Resilience is the unshakable tree that remains solidly rooted into the ground, no matter how wildly the wind blows against it. So, what do we need to do to ensure we can access our own resilience when weathering transition turbulence?

Acknowledge EVERYTHING You’re Feeling

Not all transitions are created equal. For some, transition is the result of a deliberate choice made to head in a brand-new direction. For others, the transition they’re experiencing may be the result of a decision that wasn’t their own. Both situations bring with them powerful, varied, and often complicated sets of feelings and emotions. Here are a few ways resilience benefits from sitting with whatever you’re feeling:

Emotional awareness: Acknowledging and experiencing your emotions during a transition increases your emotional awareness, helping you to better understand your reactions, triggers, and coping mechanisms. Recognizing and accepting these emotions grants you insight into what and how you're truly feeling, which is essential for building resilience.

Processing emotions: Allowing yourself to fully feel and experience your emotions allows you to thoroughly process them. Suppressing or trying to ignore emotions rarely serves us well. They don’t just disappear! Pushing them down merely puts them on “pause,” giving them an opportunity to take root and fester. That emotional buildup does way more harm than good, making it more difficult to access our resilience reserves.

Catharsis and release: Emotions are a natural response to any type of change or transition. Allowing yourself to feel them provides an outlet for release. Feel like crying? Do it! Want to scream from frustration? Let it out! It's like giving your mind and body permission to release tension and pent-up energy, which can lessen the emotional burden you're carrying.

Adaptation and growth: Resilience involves adapting to change and growing through newness or adversity. Emotions carry valuable information about your needs, values, and priorities. By fully experiencing your emotions you gain easier access to resilience, leading you toward a path of personal growth during transition.

The only way past is through. Feeling, internalizing, and accepting each and every emotion associated with whatever type of transition you’re experiencing is critical for accessing resilience. Remember that allowing yourself to feel doesn't mean dwelling solely on the negative emotions! It's about acknowledging the full spectrum of emotions and using them as information to navigate your transition more effectively and with fortified resilience.

Take Advantage of Every Tool in Your Toolbox

Remaining resilient during transitions can be challenging, especially if negative emotions are dominating your headspace. Whether you’re facing changes in your personal life, career, or any other aspect, focus on tips, best practices, and strategies that might help you maintain resilience:

Identify Coping Strategies: Prioritize your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Regular exercise, proper nutrition, and sufficient sleep all contribute to your overall resilience. Mindfulness exercises such as deep breathing, meditation, and journaling can help manage stress and anxiety.

Practice Self-Compassion: Treat yourself with kindness and understanding. Remember that it's okay to have negative emotions and try not to judge yourself too harshly for having them (you’re only human!). Be as gentle with yourself as you would be with a friend going through a similar situation.

Build a Support Network: Surround yourself with friends, family, teachers, and mentors who have your back. Having a network to lean on can provide emotional support, varying perspectives, and much needed encouragement during tough times. If you're struggling to cope with a major transition, seek support from a coach, therapist, or counselor. They can provide you with tools and strategies tailored to your specific needs.

Look for the Opportunities: Consider what this transition might give or lead you to, even if it wasn’t of your own choosing. What opportunities might this open up for you personally or professionally? What new and better paths could this redirect you to?

Avoid Toxic Positivity: Looking for opportunities, or even the odd “silver lining,” can be helpful when trying to cope during a transition. But be careful not to overplay that hand into toxic positivity territory. Toxic positivity can lead us to settle for, rationalize, and tolerate truly bad situations for longer than necessary.

Borrow from Previous Experiences: Reflect on past transitions you've successfully navigated. What worked well? What strategies served you best? Apply as much of what you learned and used in the past to your current situation.

Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge your achievements, no matter how small they may seem. Celebrating milestones along the way can boost your confidence and motivation.

Engage in Positive Activities: Engage in activities that bring you joy, whether it's a hobby, exercise, spending time with loved ones, or watching movies that make you smile. These activities can help counterbalance negative emotions and improve your overall mood.

Visualize Success: Imagine yourself successfully navigating and getting to the other side of the transition. Decide what positive outcomes you want to see blossom from the transition and tap into the emotions you expect to feel once you get there.

Human beings possess an extraordinary capacity for growth and change, and an ability to adapt to some truly mind-blowing circumstances. Resilience is at the heart of that. With every transition we become more adept at embracing the unknown, more skilled at finding a way forward, and more connected to our core strength. Tapping into our resilience gives us the power to not just endure, but to thrive.