Life Stage Adjustments – A Journey Across Life!
Human beings, like all living creatures on this planet, have a life cycle. Each stage of this cycle is marked by subtle adjustments to cope with the social, economical, cultural and sometimes, chronic stressors of the stage. Let us get acquainted with the stages of life and the life stage adjustments expected during the different phases of life. Please note that the last two stages are not governed by a person’s age.
Infant (Birth- 2 years):
Changes in schedules – bedtime, routine etc., strangers and chaos can cause anxiety during this phase.
Child (3-9 years):
Separation anxiety can be seen as the children start going to school. Social skills and peer relationships are developed during this stage.
Adolescent (10-19 years):
Peer pressure, romantic relationships and independent identity are common changes during puberty. These may bring about strong emotional reactions and behavioral risks.
Young adult (20-29 years):
Beginning college, taking up a job, starting a family, and buying a house are some of the significant events during this stage and may demand moving out of your comfort zone.
Adult (30-39 years):
Managing family and career growth along with increased responsibilities may lead to stress.
Middle age (40-60 years):
First signs of aging and effects of lifestyle, menopause in women, children leaving the house, grandchildren arriving, career peak – all these things may all take a toll on a person’s mental and physical health.
Independent old age (Age 60 onward):
More signs of aging and lifestyle effects. Retirement, health problems and medications may cause a strain on a person in this stage.
Dependent old age (Optional stage):
The feeling of being dependent and requiring assistance may disturb a person and may reduce their ability to enjoy life.
End of Life:
This is the time when a person realizes that he/she has come close to the end and may require a lot of pep talks and love and care.
Let us see some of the ways you can seek assistance in welcoming life stage changes rather than avoiding them.
Coping With Life Stage Adjustments
There are multiple ways a counselor can help you overcome issues with life stage adjustments:
He/She will assist you in accepting life’s changes.
He/She can work with you towards setting standards, values and principles for you. This kind of discipline will help you remain focused on your goals and aspirations.
He/She can also teach you how to take steps to reach your goals or deal with life changes.
He/She can help you recognize what you are going through and accept your feelings and emotions and guide you in dealing with them.
He/She will help you deal with discomfort without allowing you to get bogged down. He/She will also prevent you from taking substances like drugs, alcohol etc. as a means of escaping reality.
A counselor turns out to be a great help in teaching you how to care for yourself and build a strong support system so that you know that there are people you can fall back on when you falter.
Life is a journey that has a milestone at every point. These milestones tell us when it is time for a change and we must be prepared for the change. Sometimes these milestones come into our life fast and sometimes they are slow. However, we must be prepared to face these transitions. Life stage adjustments become very easy if we open up to the changes in an effective way.
If you believe you or a loved one is struggling with anxiety related to life stage adjustments, we invite you to contact us to set an appointment for anxiety therapy today. A sliding scale is offered to those in need.
