Grounding: A Calming Compass for Life’s Transitions

Photo by: Natalie Bond

Transitions are a natural part of life, allowing you to gain new experiences and grow as a person. Although humans can adapt to various circumstances, change can still be difficult. With every new beginning comes a steep learning curve, challenging your mindset and perspective of the world.

A transition can appear in many forms, like ending a relationship, losing a loved one, getting laid off, or starting a family. While some changes may be exciting, others can devastate you, pulling the rug from under your feet.

Although change is natural and never-ending, our brains try to make direct connections between our past situations and our beliefs.

For example, someone who loses their job may feed into their inner critic’s voice and trigger a series of limiting beliefs:

• I’m not smart enough for this job.
• I’m not good enough to keep this position.
• I’m not capable of doing this job.

However, our limiting beliefs are pointing back to something that happened to us from our past. Regardless if it was a big traumatic or small event, that is where a belief was set into our mind and our mind found supporting data from that incident to make that belief now true for us. Our minds then rally behind that new belief as fact in order to protect us and keep us safe.

Our brains then cling to what is known from our past. Using that information and applying it to the current unknown situation. We tend to experience heightened anxiety, stress, and fear, reminding us of that past situation as well as re-experiencing what we felt during that time.

Exploring our relationship to transitions

When encountering a change, it’s best to quiet the mind and offer self-assurance. Providing words of comfort, kindness, and compassion for yourself is essential. It’s important to remember that perfection is an unfair expectation and in times of high stress, finding compassion for oneself is key.

Be present during the transition and acknowledge any feelings coming to the surface. Rather than attempting to fast forward through the experience, allow yourself to sit in it before taking action and notice what’s coming up for you emotionally.

Although this is an ideal approach, your mind will likely give you a hard time and generate endless lists of -what is going wrong that needs fixing. This rapid creation of these lists is your brain’s way of finding stability. However, it can also contribute to your stress. You may experience ruminating thoughts, cycling through what-if scenarios, and toxic beliefs.

We can’t control every random thought popping into our minds, but we can prioritize what’s essential at this moment. Don’t miss out on the exciting or challenging transitions happening in your life. The door of new beginnings is opening, and it’s vital to recognize this transitory time, so you can place stepping stones towards how you want to be and feel.

Work through transitions with grounding

When your mind is overloaded, it can’t retain all the information you want. This is a sign of stress. Be aware of how your body and mind respond to your current circumstances.

To start this process, reflect on your feelings. Are you nervous, excited, or frustrated? Is this experience triggering emotions from a past event? Do you have ruminating thoughts invading your mind? Check in with your body. Are you noticing fluctuations in your health?

Take this opportunity to pause and turn inward. You can use the following guide to work through any changes — whether they’re big or small:

• Ground yourself: Practice grounding through meditation, journaling, going on walks, or engaging in a relaxing activity. The purpose of grounding is to approach your transition from a calm and peaceful place rather than an anxiety-fueled state. Here, you can think more clearly and move forward with intention.
• Validate your feelings: The emotions you’re experiencing are valid. But they likely stem from a limiting belief. For instance, I lost my job, so I’m not good enough. There is no direct connection between the job outcome and your self-worth. However, as humans, we tend to personalize anything that affects us. Notice your feelings without attacking yourself. Hypnotherapy can help you move through limiting beliefs and align your mind to be in sync with your goals.
• Separate fact from limiting belief: Sever the connection your brain is trying to make and question the validity of your thoughts. In many cases, toxic beliefs don’t derive from the change itself; instead, they already exist within you. When you endure a challenging transition, your brain will search for living examples from your past experiences to support your (limiting) beliefs. You can tap into these limiting beliefs by using hypnotherapy as a tool to help you reframe the beliefs to be more in alignment with your goals.
• Explore the facts: Determine what is true. A layoff could be due to downsizing, economic downturn, or cutting costs. Your termination may have nothing to do with your work performance, even if it affects you on a personal level. Consider other true aspects. I was laid off, and I need to land a new job. Viewing your circumstances from an objective perspective allows you to see reality for what it is versus what your inner critic tells you.
• Shift your beliefs: Imagine how far you could go if you believe in yourself. Beliefs play a significant role in how you maneuver changes. But it can be challenging to transform your belief systems alone. Hypnotherapy can help you shift your limiting beliefs to powerful statements about yourself. You can empower yourself to achieve anything when you dismantle old, toxic beliefs and replace them with new, positive ideas.

The initial shock of a transition can send you reeling and question your self-worth. It can also trigger your mind to spiral with distressing thoughts. For instance, I won’t be able to pay my bills and I’ll become homeless, or I’ll never find the right person for me and will be alone forever.

When these thoughts occur, it’s vital to catch yourself and realize they are not an authentic reflection of you. A business or partner’s needs may not depend on you alone. So, be careful not to personalize every change in your life. Sometimes when a door closes, a window opens.

Accept the imperfections

Many people gravitate to plans and routines because they offer a foundation for daily life. There’s comfort in knowing how things will play out, even though unpredictable factors in life typically occur. Expecting a seamless transition from one chapter to the next is unrealistic, and standing firm in this belief can lead to disappointment and frustration.

Learn to accept that change will not be perfect, and it doesn’t need to be. It’s all about tapping into the groundedness within. You can still create goals and feel optimistic about the future while understanding there may be some bumps along the road.

Life is like a rollercoaster with twists and turns, but that’s a natural part of the journey of life. The best way to get from point A to point B is to be present and keep moving towards how you want to be and feel.

However, you don’t need to endure transitions by yourself. You can connect with loved ones for support, journal your experiences, and shift your beliefs with hypnotherapy.

Hypnotherapy is a powerful tool for helping you adjust your limiting beliefs into positive affirmations about yourself. With the support of a hypnotherapist, you can learn to turn inward and empower yourself to make intentional changes for a fulfilling life.

Do you need assistance breaking through limiting beliefs? Are you experiencing a demanding transition at the moment?

If so, schedule a virtual hypnotherapy session with Mindful Hypnotherapy today! I look forward to guiding you through life’s unpredictable changes!