Are You Experiencing Transitional Stress?

Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Therapist

Life transitions happen more often than you might think. Some examples you may recognize include:

• Starting a new job/academic program.
• Losing or leaving a job.
• Making a career change.
• Becoming an empty nester.
• Moving to a new home/relocating.
• Buying or selling a house.
• Divorce/separation/the end of a relationship.
• Marriage/beginning a new relationship.
• Welcoming a child into your family.
• The death of a loved one (including pets).
• Experiencing COVID-related changes.

Many transitions may not come to mind when you think of life changes. Did you know these too count as life transitions?

• Recovering from infidelity or betrayal.
• Financial gains or losses.
• Recovering from an injury.
• Questioning faith/spirituality.
• Questioning one’s sexuality.
• Gender transition.
• Receiving a promotion or career advancement.
• Returning to the office after remote work.

All of these situations are life transitions that can induce stress. How many of these transitions have you experienced in the past? Are you facing any right now? Recognizing that you’re in a period of change can help you understand why your stress levels might feel higher than usual.

Here’s an example of transition stress: DeAndre received a promotion at work. He has received a salary increase, is now taking on more managerial duties, and is being integrated into the leadership culture within his company. He is experiencing several intersecting life transitions: his new role, higher pay, and exposure to a different work environment. Even positive changes like these can lead to increased stress.

Understanding the Hidden Impact of Life Changes

Life transitions don’t just affect your schedule, they can quietly influence your thoughts, behaviors, and overall sense of stability. Even changes that feel positive, like a promotion or moving to a new home, can create uncertainty. This hidden impact can make it harder to focus, maintain routines, or feel confident in your decisions. Recognizing that stress can accompany all types of life changes is the first step toward managing it effectively.

Cognitive and Emotional Strain

Beyond mood shifts, transitional stress can affect how you think and process information. You might find it harder to concentrate, make decisions, or remember tasks. Emotional strain may manifest as self-doubt, irritability, or a sense of being overwhelmed. These responses are natural, as your mind adjusts to new responsibilities or unfamiliar circumstances. Awareness of these cognitive and emotional effects allows you to approach them with compassion rather than frustration.

Practical Ways to Cope

Managing transitional stress often involves both practical and reflective strategies. Structuring your day with consistent routines, setting realistic goals, and prioritizing self-care can reduce feelings of overwhelm. Mindfulness techniques, journaling, or talking with a trusted friend can help process emotions constructively.

Seeking therapy can provide additional guidance, helping you develop personalized coping tools while exploring the underlying effects of change. Symmetry Counseling offers individual therapy to support people navigating transitions, equipping clients with skills to manage stress and embrace life changes with resilience.

Are there changes in your mood?

One of the most common signs of transitional stress is a change in your mood. For example, you might experience irritability, anxiety, sadness, grief, confusion, or apathy in response to a life transition. DeAndre noticed that he was feeling sad and realized that he felt a sense of loss due to the manner in which his promotion transformed his relationships with his coworkers, for he had to adopt a more managerial role and was therefore no longer able to act as their peer.  He also found it difficult to relax at night, as his mind kept racing about work and the tasks he needed to complete the next day.

To discover changes in your mood, ask yourself this question: How do I typically feel when I am not experiencing a transition? This might be your emotional baseline. If you are experiencing a transition, you might notice that you are not functioning at your emotional baseline. You might have less patience with people or certain situations, struggle to manage daily stress, and feel more easily overwhelmed. These emotional reactions are common signs of transitional stress.

Are there changes in your body?

Transitional stress can cause you to experience multiple changes in your body. These changes could include headaches/migraines, muscle tension (which can cause aches and pains), sleep difficulties, fatigue, and a decline in your immune system. If you’re unsure whether your mood has changed, paying attention to these bodily signals during a transition can help you better understand how stress is affecting you.

DeAndre noticed that his body felt restless at night, especially when he was thinking about work. He also wasn’t sleeping as well, as he’d wake up multiple times throughout the night due to vivid dreams.  DeAndre recognized that these physical changes were likely linked to transitional stress.

Experiencing transitions is common, as is transitional stress. If you are experiencing transitional stress, participating in therapy might help. A therapist can help you understand whether you are experiencing any life transitions and how these transitions are impacting you on an emotional and physical level. Therapy can also provide strategies to cope with transitional stress effectively. Symmetry Counseling offers individual therapy to support you in managing these changes.