MindSG
Explore our suite of self-care tools and resources to help you better understand and manage your mental health.
Undergoing transitions
As we enter
the later stages of our lives, things may start to move at a slower pace
for us. We may also experience many changes, such as retirement,
experiencing emerging health concerns, watching our loved ones move out,
or even losing our loved ones.
This can often bring about
stress and overwhelming emotions which, if not properly managed, may
affect our mental well-being. Let’s read on to
find out more about what we can do to cope with transitions in our
lives.
What are
transitions?
Transitions are events or situations that
result in changes to our lives such as in our
relationships, routines, or roles.
Common transitions we experience
While the changes we face may vary
individually, there are some common ones we
experience as we get older. These include:
a change in jobs
(e.g. losing a spouse, friend, or relative to death)
assisted living community
How to cope
with
transitions
and its effects
The changes caused by transitions
disrupt our routines as well as our feelings of familiarity, comfort,
and security.
To deal with transitions,
we may need to step out of our comfort zone, discard old
habits, relearn, and even pick up new skills.
Here
are some ways we can cope with transitions:
Be kind to ourselves
Reach out to friends or those around us
Prepare ourselves
Set realistic expectations
Develop a consistent
routine
Remind
ourselves of
our past successes
Keep an open mind
Set small goals
As going through transitions can be very stressful, it is important we learn to cope with it. Read on for some ways we can identify and manage it.
Look out for signs of stress
Sometimes, we might not notice when we are feeling stressed but there are some common signs to look for, including:
Trembling
Poor concentration
Withdrawing from social activities
Excessive worrying
When we notice signs of stress, we should refrain from brushing them off as they can be indicators of our mental well-being.
Take breaks to do the things we enjoy
Enjoyable activities can include going for a short walk, reading a book, or even taking a nap. We can also spend time with friends and people we care about to alleviate some of our stress.
Discover more stress-busting tips here.
During a transition, we may experience
many different emotions. It is important to know how we
can manage these so we can successfully navigate the
transition with a clear mind. However, as we may go
through a wide range of them, we need to first identify
the emotions troubling us before we can work towards
solving them.
Here are some steps we can
take to identify and manage our emotions:
Identify the emotion
- We can use the feelings tracker to identify how we are feeling.
- We can then use the emotions explorer to understand why we feel those emotions.
- We should not neglect how we feel as we may get overwhelmed and become less effective at managing our emotions.
Know why we feel
the way we do
- We should accept our emotions as natural and not something to avoid.
- Many things can trigger our emotions, including events, situations, or even our own thoughts and memories.
- Try to understand what makes us feel a certain way and why as this would make it easier for us to assess how best to manage our feelings.
Find out how we can manage our emotions here.
Some transitions may cause us to become socially isolated because of reduced social connections. These can include retirement or even changes in our physical health. As isolation can have serious impacts on our physical and mental health, it is important that we know how to cope with it.
Stay active by adopting a new skill or hobby
Learning a new skill or hobby not
only keeps us mentally active, but also allows
us to interact with new people with similar
interests.
Consider joining the
following programmes to stay active:
Live Well Age Well Programmes
Participate in free exercise programmes or workshops while connecting with other residents from the same neighbourhood.
The National Silver Academy
This academy
supports
life-long
learning
by
providing
opportunities
for
seniors
to
continue
learning
and
upskilling.
With
a wide
range of
courses
available
to suit
our
interests
and
needs,
we can
meet
like-minded
peers,
expand
and
strengthen
our
social
networks,
as well
as
reduce
our
difficulties
connecting
with
other
generations
by
interacting
with
people
of
different
age
groups.
The Seniors Go Digital programme
This programme
teaches
seniors
how to
use a
smartphone
for
communication
(e.g.
phone
calls,
sending
messages),
leisure
(e.g.
watching
videos)
and
services
(e.g.
making
e-payments,
scanning
QR
codes).
This
can help
us feel
more
connected
to our
increasingly
digitalised
society
by
enhancing
our
digital
access
and
understanding.
Available
schemes
are
tailored
for
varying
levels
of
digital
knowledge
and
income
groups
Sign up for
befriending
services
As part of this service,
trained volunteers will visit us as a
friend, providing us with some relief to our
loneliness, isolation, or boredom.
Through our interactions,
befrienders may also identify ways to
improve our day-to-day environment and
provide the necessary assistance.
Simply visit the Agency for Integrated
Care (AIC) E-Care Locator or AIC’s webpage for
more information.
