When a Major Life Change Upends Your Sense of Self

Change is a fact of life. It can be easy to fall into identity paralysis, a feeling of stuck-ness in which your sense of self fails to keep up with your new role or situation, when a major change feels like it has been forced on us. The authors conducted hundreds of interviews with people who had gone through various kinds of positive or negative identity shifts to find out why they experience identity paralysis and what can be done to overcome it. They offer five tactical strategies to help anyone let go of the past, embrace a new identity, and move forward on a path towards growth.

There is a complicated relationship between humans and change. Change can be deeply uncomfortable if it feels out of our control, even if it is essential for growth.