Life-changing events - learning acceptance

Recently, a friend received some life changing news. Shocking news about a loved one being involved in an accident. I reached out to this person with a message of support and they replied that life can be incredibly cruel sometimes.

I see many clients in my clinic who have said something similar when faced with life-changing events. Often clients stories leave me wondering how people get through these events that are so huge, and so life changing, and still achieve happiness in their life?

Some people find that accepting change is too difficult and very often, you may get stuck at the shock and denial stage of acceptance where you can’t get past questioning why this has this happened in your life. This lack of acceptance can be incredibly damaging to your mental health and future happiness. Feelings of shock, denial and frustration can take hold causing stress, anxiety and depression, because you can't come to terms with the change in their life that you have had no control over.

So how do we go through this process of accepting change in a healthy way and get some help? 

  • Speak to someone! Don’t bottle up your feelings, perhaps talk to a friend or family member. If you feel there isn't anyone you can talk to, then a hypnotherapist can provide a safe environment that is completely non-judgemental and confidential, and somewhere you can feel completely listened to and supported.
  • Hypnotherapy can also help with some of the symptoms following a life-changing event - if you are feeling depressed or anxious hypnotherapy can help by providing practical solutions and re-framing negative thoughts.
  • Self-care - when a traumatic event happens to somebody or yourself it is incredibly important to self-care, especially if you are caring for someone else, perhaps in hospital or at home. Take time for yourself to recharge your batteries and remove yourself from that environment, even if it's just to go for a quick coffee with a friend. Relaxation techniques can help, perhaps mindfulness, meditation or yoga. Your hypnotherapist can go through these with you as well as different breathing techniques. Exercise is also incredibly important for raising your endorphins level, even if it's just a nice long walk in the park, breathing in the fresh air.

Finally, I think it is really important to recognise that like all things in life, this too shall pass. Even if it seems there is no light at the end of the tunnel, and it may feel like you are stuck in this moment that has been forced upon you, hypnotherapy can help you to accept the changes in your life and work together with you to develop out practical solutions for coping with that change. You cannot change the situation but you can change how you deal with it.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author. All articles published on Hypnotherapy Directory are reviewed by our editorial team.

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