Adjusting and Managing Transitions
Adjusting and Managing Transitions
How to I adjust to Life Transitions?
Transitions in college are very normal and can consist of many different events. For instance some common life transitions that occur among college students include:
- A heavily increased academic workload
- The breakup of an important relationship
- Dealing with difficulty personalities and people
- Trying to make new friends
- Living on your own for the first time
These types of events can impact a student both internally (e.g. creating anxiety or worry) or externally (e.g. negative coping patterns like drinking too much) and it can be hard to acknowledge that one is unable to manage the many emotions they might be feeling.
Sometimes, difficulty managing emotions may manifest itself as:
- Difficulty Sleeping
- Feeling down, hopeless, or helpless most of the time
- Difficulty concentrating (to the point that you can’t focus on everyday tasks)
- Using nicotine, food, drugs, or alcohol to help you cope with difficult emotions
- Persistent self destructive thoughts
- Thoughts of death or suicide
If you experience these types of feelings more often than not for an extended period of time, it may signal the need for you to seek help.
