Embracing Transitions

It is the middle of June and we are getting ready to celebrate my daughter's graduation. It is a time of reflection, excitement, joy, and gratitude. Unfortunately, many parent's and young adults find this time to be anxiety provoking. Transitions are often difficult due to the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Parents are grieving  what they are losing and the young adults are fearing what they are about to face. The best thing to do is to honor these feelings....create a space for them. If you resist them, try to get them to go away, or push them down, the feelings will only grow and gain power. I often take some deep breaths and open my arms and hands to tell myself that I am listening and I am open to learning from the sadness/fear. It is also helpful to tell your mind the whole story. Anxiety/Sadness tends to only repeat the negative or catastrophic parts of the story. It is your job to balance this story by accepting the uncertainty and possibility of distress but also stating the potential for new, exciting, and interesting experiences to emerge. Keep yourself open and keep the door open for possibilities. This will prevent you from being controlled by anxiety.