30 People Reveal One Moment After Which Their Lives Were Never The Same

Whether good or bad, life-changing moments can get overwhelming. There are, however, ways to try and cope with it all, and, according to Dr. Oliver Robinson, one of the most effective ways to deal with overwhelming emotions or thoughts is ‘box breathing’.

“This involves breathing in for the count of four seconds, holding it for four seconds, breathing out for four seconds and holding it for four seconds, and repeating for 5 or 10 minutes. This allows the sympathetic nervous system to reset and then thoughts and feelings are experienced as more manageable,” he told Bored Panda in a recent interview.

According to Dr. Robinson, significant change in life can often lead to a challenging mix of sadness and anxiety. “When a person is going through a major transition in life, they may feel sadness over what they have left behind and anxiety about what is ahead but [is] uncertain,” he pointed out.

Sometimes, it doesn’t even have to be an upsetting change that evokes said emotions, as such events as moving into a new place can bring a little bit of everything – sadness over the times that ended, anxiety over not knowing what awaits, and excitement about… well, about what awaits, too.

Discussing how best to manage your emotions in a time of change, the expert emphasized the importance of taking action. “When something bad happens, you need to take care of your emotions and stress levels and also take proactive steps to resolve it. This is a twin challenge.

“Emotion-focused coping involves breathing strategies, exercise, time in nature, sleeping, taking time out. Proactive task-focused coping involves actions to deal with whatever needs to be fixed, handled or resolved. If you are in transition, take time every day to ensure both of these challenges are dealt with by writing down a plan for both and checking off your progress day by day.”

Quite often, the largest changes or turning-point moments in life are linked to the people we love most, be it family and friends, or romantic interests. That’s because, according to Dr. Robinson, family attachments and romantic attachments elicit very powerful emotions when they are formed, disrupted or lost.

“The power of these emotions are of a different order to most other life experiences, and they bring a sense of meaning in life that gives love-based transitions a sense of profound significance,” he explained.

“There was some interesting research done with the terminally ill,” Dr. Robinson continued. “Although we may be socialized to work long hours and focus on work achievements, many who are close to death actively wish they spent more time with their friends and family. The message from those who are close to death is that it is relationships and love that matter most.”