Our world can suddenly change in a flash, or change may slowly loom closer and closer. We find ourselves facing, dodging, fearing the uncertainty, and struggling to accept the truth. The truth is, life is changing. Change is happening all the time, but some changes are dramatic, whether expected or not.

We experience metamorphosis many times during our lives, from childhood to adulthood. We face it as we become independent, married, parents/grandparents, divorced, retired, older, poorly, and so on. Every life stage sends us into a state of flux as the familiar becomes history and the new is unknown territory.

Change challenges our sense of self and our identity. It leaves us feeling insecure, out of our depth, unnerved or damn right scared at times. Even positive changes can leave us jaded and more than a little out of our comfort zone. We are left grieving for what once was, and overwhelmed and ill-prepared for the new. An internal battle can take place as we mentally and emotionally resist the change, which undoubtedly adds to the pain and stress we are experiencing.

Change can provoke a state of anxiety and stress. This may only last a short period of time for some and may feel mild and manageable. However, you may find it feels overwhelming, literally stopping you in your tracks and preventing you from moving on.

Clients often describe feeling stuck, frozen, or even scared of what the future holds for them. This is a natural reaction because the body and mind’s stress responses are triggered by the unknown and the unfamiliar. If you do not feel emotionally, physically, or practically prepared for the changes you are going through or heading towards, then your stress response system will remain activated.

In the short term, stress may not be a problem. Indeed,  research suggests short-lived experiences of stress can help us manage life’s challenges in the future. The system responds effectively to stress and returns to a relaxed state.

However, during ongoing periods of stress or when the mind and body have not processed the event, the stress response system remains activated. Specific neural pathways are kept running on full power while others remain shut down. This makes it more difficult for the mind and body to switch back to a relaxed state.

With the right support from a counsellor, not only can we prevent this from happening in the first place, but we can also help your system learn to relax again. 

Left unregulated, though, an overly activated stress response system will take its toll. Plenty of research links stress to IBS, cardiovascular and memory problems, aches, and pains, to name just a few long-term effects.

Stress is often the reason people turn to alcohol, food, and drugs. But as we all know, they too can lead to physical and mental health problems for some, and they do not address the cause of your stress. It will remain on red alert until you pay attention to what is or has triggered it and find healthy ways of managing it.

The process starts by acknowledging how you feel right now and allowing yourself to experience those feelings. They will guide you to what you need to move on. Trust me, you cannot escape from your feelings, and they will become more intense until you gently explore them and find out what they are trying to say to you.

Counselling and anxiety therapy will help you explore them safely without them overwhelming you. You may only need a few sessions to work out the best way forward for you. On the other hand, you may need more if you are going through or have gone through a lot of changes or challenges.