Transitioning and Stress.

 

 

All transitions involve stress to some degree. At one end of the spectrum stress might be experienced as the sense of excitement accompanying the anticipation of a desired change. However stress can also be less benign.

 

Stress occurs when our perceived resources are seen to be insufficient to meet the current demands of life. When circumstances of change take us by surprise the experience can be extremely stressful.  Just as pain in our bodies alerts us to the fact that something is physically amiss, continuing debilitating stress alerts us to the fact that we are psychological overburdened. 

 

Techniques such as Mindfullness can be used to aleviate stress in the short term, but if the experience of life is characterized by chronic stress, further investigation is warranted. I find it is useful to look at two aspects in particular, firstly, our internal resources, and secondly the demand we perceive those resources to be under. Exploring these aspects brings to light questions concerning how we perceive the challenge that is causing the stress, and often enable us to find hitherto unseen solutions. In this exploration there are no right or wrong answers, only informative ones. We are all unique as individuals, and our responses to these questions are unique and shape how we may negotiate transitions that we find overly stressful.