5 Signs You May Be Struggling to Manage Transitions in Your Life

Your feelings aren't random. And that's because life isn't random. God designed this life to challenge us and to be unpredictable to grow spiritually and strengthen our trust and faith in Him, so with that unpredictability, comes trials, setbacks, transitions, inconveniences, etc. All sprinkled throughout the days of our lives.

It's only natural that as a Christian woman, you sometimes feel yourself folding under that pressure, and rebelling against those transitory periods, but I want to encourage you that what you're feeling is only temporary and you CAN overcome it with the right tools.

The truth is, we are always transitioning from one moment to the next. Some transitions are easier to navigate, and others are much harder... and sometimes even when there's a good transition in progress, it looks great on the outside but on the inside, you feel as if you're about to explode because you're not properly managing the changes.. That's what I want to address today.

🌟Here's a breakdown of the 5 Signs that You May Be Struggling with Managing Transitions in Your Life and the first step for each that you can begin working to reduce anxiety and embrace peace and self-control. 🩷

1. You're easily irritable - When you're overwhelmed and overstimulated, you may start to become really snappy, especially when you're not trying to be. Something as simple as your partner, spouse, children, etc talking loud can set you off. What you really want to communicate gets lost in translation underneath your anxiety. You're only human, so this is pretty normal in this case.

✅️ FIRST STEP: Take a breath, pray, and start asking the Holy Spirit for help in how to problem solve and focus on what you can actually control, then focus each day on working in the areas that's within your control, leaving the rest to God. Don't try to take over the areas that's only meant for Him to take over.

2. You constantly miss deadlines - This is due to lack of time management and organization. When you have a lot to manage in your life, you may sometimes shut down when you feel like it's too much. You thought overloading your calendar made you feel productive, but it's only caused you to not make any progress at all.

✅️ FIRST STEP: Do a brain dump of everything that needs to be done and arrange it from most to least priority, then start slowly working through the list. This helps you to focus on one thing at a time instead of looking at everything all at once.

3. You set unrealistic expectations for yourself - When you feel like you need to be "everything to everyone" in order to be successful, this causes astronomical stress because your spirit and mind knows this isn't a normal way to be. You're afraid of saying "No" when you really need to for fear of being a disappointment to others and even yourself.

✅️ FIRST STEP: BOUNDARIES ARE YOUR FRIEND. You have to set limits and be realistic about how you can show up in the different spaces you're called to occupy. Ask God for help in knowing where your focus and energy should be. Saying "No" doesn't make you a bad person, but an aware one.

4. You find yourself disconnecting from others - In all honesty, when you feel like you're managing so much unsuccessfully, the last thing you want is for people to be around you and all in your ear, so you start retreating thinking you can figure it out on your own. You may start feeling like you're better off on your own because at least no one will ask you for anything, and you can finally get some rest. You may also be trying to delay a transition in anticipation of the possible stress that may come with it.

✅️ FIRST STEP: FIND YOUR PEOPLE. I mean the people who you can trust and who God's placed in your life to be a source of support and give you sound wisdom for these difficult moments. God may be using them to share something with you. Don't shut them out. 💯

5. You can't handle unexpected inconveniences - I don't think anyone likes when things don't go according to plan, so when this happens, you may start stressing out about why things went wrong when you tried so hard and set things up for them to go according to plan. You felt like you over-prepared so nothing should gone wrong, but the moment it does, you're knocked off your square and feeling overwhelmed.

✅️ FIRST STEP: LET GO of what's OUT of YOUR Control. Key word. "YOUR” control.

God has a plan for everything He allows to happen in your life & it's important to focus on what's within your ability and realize that the inconvenience may not be because of something you did. These moments are just apart of life and is how you grow. God wants you to grow into the woman He's called you to be.

I pray you have more awareness and are encouraged that you can manage any transition that comes your way! Just start with a first step, and keeping making steps one at a time..

If you're ready for more guidance, I invite you to click the button below to schedule a 20 minute consultation for Christian-Based Therapy, tailored to you as a Christian woman in Florida or Illinois, ready to embark on a journey of healing and growth.

I can't wait to partner with you and be a witness to the amazing woman God has already created you to be!

Your Sister in Christ,

Dominique S. Russell, LCPC