STRESS &
LIFE TRANSITIONS
Let’s talk about stress…
It’s a natural part of existence, but prolific in many of our lives. We are living in a current social and economic culture in which most of us are exposed to daily chronic stress beyond our control. Balancing work with chores, bills, your never-ending to do lists and ever-evolving relationships can create a sense of fragility alone. Toss in an unexpected life event or significant crisis and you may feel on the brink of collapse.
Even if you are still managing to get things done, hyperfunctioning on top of hidden inner stress can lead to burnout, which over prolonged periods of time can wreak havoc on your immune system. The body will often reveal what the mind may be hiding.
Stress can produce uncomfortable to downright harmful effects on our mental, emotional and physical well-being, with symptoms ranging from difficulty concentrating, irritability, feelings of overwhelm, and low energy, to hives, headaches, insomnia, decreased sex drive, high blood pressure, and digestive issues. These symptoms are exacerbated when we respond in the way we often do — by ignoring or suppressing this growing tension. Sometimes attempts to care for ourselves can feel like another overwhelming task. But, you deserve to experience another way of being. If we can shift our mindset to see stress as an opportunity for change rather than a threat, we can face the challenge head-on.
Many clients express that having an hour a week set aside to check in with themselves decreases their stress alone. Beyond that, you can learn to cultivate and make available a way of being that can help balance your very busy energy that is often required by work, parenting, relationships, and more. Rather than trying to push it all down, you can grow to recognize and release ingrained patterns that actually contribute to stress, and learn practical tools that help you cope and move through tension.
HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF HOW WE DO THIS:
Learn to identify when your perspective on life’s problems (and potential solutions) becomes limited by your stress
Increase your awareness of tendencies to react to stress and learn how you can instead intentionally respond to stress
Learn to sooth and comfort your nervous system, mind, and body with somatic practices and relaxation techniques
Change lifestyle habits (around time-management, movement, nutrition, rest, connection, and play) to lower your stress chemistry and support flexibility and ease in your daily life
Build resilience by engaging in activities that foster optimism, gratitude, and purpose outside of whatever is taxing you
Address vocational burnout; clarify your values and redefine success and productivity to improve work-life balance
Expand your window of tolerance for inevitable stress by learning to process triggers in a manner that has less of a negative impact on your nervous system
Life Transitions
There are countless transitions in life that can lead to increased stress, anxiety, feelings of overwhelm or utter collapse, and not all of them are negative!
If you feel like you’re struggling to stay above water amidst a major life change, or perhaps you feel accepting of the change but are unsure of how to make the most of it and tend to your well-being, therapy can provide support, relief and guidance.
Rather than white-knuckling through a change, especially ones that have the potential to bring great joy, create some space to evaluate your current approach.
We’ll examine factors causing distress, identify practical solutions, develop coping skills to help manage challenging emotions and thoughts, and keep you on the path in life that is most important to you. Whether the transition is on the horizon, in the past, or you are deep in it, therapy can be a great asset to help you move wisely through.
Change in marital status or relationship dynamics — engagement, wedding planning, adapting to marriage, separation, divorce, remarriage
Welcoming the birth of a child or adapting to empty nesting
Changes in family structure and dynamics
Major losses or gains in your social life
Starting college or moving back home
Relocation
A few examples of common life changes which may lead people to seek additional support through therapy:
Career changes — changing professions, starting a new job, vocational stress and burnout, job loss, unemployment
Changes to financial status
Stepping into a caretaking role
Health issues
Retirement
Navigating aging
*This is not a comprehensive list. If you are facing a life change that in my clinical opinion requires more specialized care beyond my scope of practice, we will explore referrals to specialists together to ensure your needs are adequately addressed!
Existential Stress
Feeling overwhelmed by life’s biggest questions?
What am I meant to do? Who am I meant to be?
It can be a terrifying and courageous thing to fathom the meaning and purpose of our lives. When we learn to approach this question with curiosity instead of expecting to meet shame or fear, it becomes a fruitful — even enjoyable — experience!
Therapy can be a nonjudgmental space for you to raise questions about purpose, address anxiety around your identity, confront fears around death and loneliness, and explore themes like responsibility and freedom in your life.
