Examples of Life Transitions: A Guide to Identifying Periods of Change and Their Impact on You

You know that feeling when everything feels… off? Like you’re walking through your life, but nothing quite fits the way it used to? Maybe you can’t pinpoint exactly what changed—or maybe you can—but something has shifted, and now you’re here googling “why do I feel weird about everything” at 1 AM.

Welcome to life transitions.

They’re everywhere, they’re inevitable, and they have a sneaky way of turning your world upside down even when they’re technically “good” changes.

We’re here to talk about what these transitions look like, why they mess with us so much, and why getting a bit of support might just be exactly what you need.

Here are some examples of life transitions (and what to do during these periods of change):

What Exactly is a “Life Transition?”

Life transitions are periods when significant changes happen in your life circumstances, relationships, roles, or sense of identity. They can be planned (like getting married or retiring) or completely unexpected (like job loss or illness). 

It could be something that happens gradually over the last (or next) few months—or hit you all at once.

What makes life transitions different than your regular day-to-day changes is that they require you to let go of familiar patterns and rebuild new ones. Your usual coping strategies might not work anymore, and you’re basically learning how to be yourself in a new context.

5 Examples of Life Transitions (The Good and The Bad)

Your therapist can help you through your life transitions by helping you rebuild your new patterns and helping introduce new or reintroduce old coping strategies.

They help you let go of who you were and figure out who you’re becoming because our brains aren’t necessarily huge fans of uncertainty, even when the change is something you wanted.

There are technically four types of life transitions: anticipated ones you can plan for, unanticipated ones that blindside you, "non-events" where something you expected doesn't happen, and "sleeper" transitions that seem small but end up changing everything.

These are examples of some of these life transitions that we’ve helped with at Ditch The Couch:

#1. Career & Work Changes

Your job disappears. Your industry pivots. You wake up one day and realize you hate what you do for a living. Suddenly, the thing that's been structuring your days, defining your identity, and paying your bills is either gone or doesn't fit anymore.

The practical stuff—money, benefits, "what do I tell people I do?"—hits immediately. But the deeper question of "who am I if I'm not this?" can knock you sideways for months.

#2. Relationship & Family Shifts

Break up. Get together. Someone dies. Someone's born. Parents age and suddenly need you to make their medical decisions. Your 20-year marriage ends, or your single life does. They completely rewrite how you move through the world and who you are in relation to other people.

Even the happy changes can leave you grieving for the simplicity of before—or worrying about what comes next.

#3. Health & Identity Discoveries

At 35, you finally learn you have ADHD, and suddenly your whole life makes sense—and also needs to be rebuilt. Your body changes the rules through illness or injury. Your brain works differently than you thought, or stops working the way it used to.

These transitions force you to renegotiate your relationship with yourself and figure out how to thrive within new limitations or with new understanding.

And yes, it can happen at ANY age.

#4. Personal Identity & Belief Changes

Coming out. Losing faith. Realizing the life you've been living doesn't actually fit who you are.

These shifts can feel both freeing and absolutely terrifying at the same time. You're not just changing your mind about something—you're discovering your entire sense of self, often while watching some relationships end and hoping new ones begin.

#5. Life Stage Milestones

College ends, and nobody prepared you for taxes or making friends as an adult. You retire and discover that "freedom" can feel surprisingly empty. You hit 30, 40, 50, and realize life looks nothing like you thought it would.

These transitions come with a side of "am I doing this right?" that social media somehow makes worse, not better.

You Don’t Have to Figure Out Alone…

Life transitions might be part of being human, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy or that you should white-knuckle your way through them without any support. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the middle of a massive change or are simply feeling unsettled, but can’t quite name why—therapy can help.

The goal isn’t to rush through the transition or skip the hard parts (if only). Therapy works to move through it with support, self-compassion, and clarity about what you want your life to look like on the other side.

Ready to stop white-knuckling it alone? We're here when you're ready to get the support you deserve. Book your free 15-minute consultation and let's talk about what's actually going on in your world.