When Joy and Grief Coexist: Navigating Mixed Emotions After A Major Life Change
Have you ever found yourself feeling both grateful and sad at the same time? Maybe you’ve started a new job, moved in with a partner you love, welcomed a baby, or finally left a place that wasn’t serving you, only to feel sad alongside the excitement.
This is more common than we might expect. Big life changes, even positive ones, can bring up a mixture of emotions. You can feel relief, pride, or happiness, and still grieve what you’ve left behind.
We can grieve any type of loss - grief is not reserved exclusively for death. For example, we might feel grief when we change career paths because we feel sad to lose the version of ourselves we once identified so strongly with, or the people we left behind. This type of life transition might feel sad and exciting at the same time.
Sometimes this overlap can feel confusing. We might think, “I should be happy about this change, why am I sad?” But the truth is, it’s often not either/or. It’s both.
When mixed emotions surface, try not to think of things in black and white. Here are a few gentle ways to honor the grey area:
Name what you’re feeling. Simply noticing “I feel both excited and sad” can ease inner tension.
Give yourself permission to feel the sadness, even if it’s not something you normally think to grieve.
Invite self-compassion. Change can stir up old fears or parts of you that worry about the unknown. Acknowledge them with kindness.
Share with someone safe. Sometimes saying it out loud helps things feel less confusing.
It’s possible to hold joy and grief at the same time. One doesn’t cancel out the other; they coexist to remind us how layered our human experience is.
If you’re navigating a big change right now, the team at Root to Rise would love to support you. Reach out to our client care coordinator to find a therapist who feels like the right fit.
Warmly,
Lauren, AMFT
