 | Lisa Vermillion is President and co-owner of Get Fit Bee Fit and Thin and Healthy Weight Management. Lisa opened Get Fit- 4 years ago in Valley Center, after receiving certifications thorough the American Council on Exercise as a Weight and Lifestyle Management Consultant and Certified Personal Trainer. In January, she Grand Opened Thin and Healthy Weight Management in the same location. Lisa not only provides weight loss programs for individuals but she also implements business wellness programs for small businesses and large corporations. Additionally, Lisa is a Certified Life Coach providing guidance for individuals in the areas of career, relationship and personal development. She is available for speaking engagements in the areas of Physical Fitness, Weight Management, or any Life Coaching area (goal setting, positive attitude, sales, etc). Lisa can be reached for questions or speaking engagements by phone (316) 755-1115 or email at mvmillion@yahoo.com |
Mental Health
2012-10-02 13:40:46
Dealing with life's transitions
Q- I am dealing with a couple major transitions in my life, and I just feel overwhelmed. What can I do to get back on track?
A- Do what you need to do. Feel what you need to feel. Move like you need to move or go where you need to go.
Transitions in life can be tough. We go through many transitions in our lives and all of them require change. WE change homes perhaps states, we change spouses, through death or divorce, we change kids when the move our, we change jobs, friends, financial status, etc. Life is full of decisions and transitions. Some, like changing the car you drive, or which laptop computer you use, don’t require much from us in how we go about transitioning from one thing to the other. Others, like changing jobs or adjusting to life after the loss of a spouse, require us to adapt on a grander scale. When life changing transitions take place, manage them by doing what you need to do, feeling what you need to feel, and going where you need to go.
First, do what you need to do. When major changes happen, it can be tempting to sit down and do nothing. You may feel overwhelmed by all the things you need to do to adapt to your transition. For example, recently I went through a major business renovation. There was packing to be done, selling, and moving. It would be an understatement to say I felt overwhelmed. It would have been easy to simply choose not to do anything; however, knowing that strategy wouldn’t work, I made a list, picked the things I knew I had to do, and delegated the rest. I chose to focus on the one thing I could do at that moment.
Second, feel what you need to feel. Avoiding feeling pain or anger only prolongs healing time. Avoidance behaviors include, excessive drinking, eating, smoking, shopping, working, or really anything that distracts you from handling your true feelings. It’s unpleasant to sit on your kitchen floor, crying and just let out the sadness you feel deep in your gut. It may feel impossible to take a day off work to just sit in your emotion and talk your feelings out with a trusted friend, or journal them. When you take time to take care of yourself in this way, healing occurs so much faster than if you ignore your feelings and gloss over them. Ignoring negative feelings doesn’t make them go away; it only prolongs the pain. Feel what you need to feel when you need to feel it.
Third, move on. Once you’ve given yourself opportunity to feel your emotions, it’s time to set your plan for the next course and then get moving. Perhaps you don’t know what to do; make an options list and pick something. Taking any step forward will start the wheels rolling toward happiness. Unpack a box, meet a new neighbor, make a phone call, anything. No matter how small, it is a step.
Transitions in life can be tricky. By doing what you need to do, feeling what you need to feel and then moving where you need to move, you will adjust more quickly and come out on the other side healthier and happier in far less time.
