Transitions

As school begins for many and summer flex schedules turn into more routine rhythms, there is a shift.  For some it can be jarring, for others it is a relief.  And yet, it is still a shift.  Jo Saxton, a podcaster and leadership coach said , ‘Change isn’t hard, transition is.’  Change assumes the transformation has occurred, but it is the shift from the familiar, to the new that can be a challenge.  It’s the adjustment from one rhythm or pattern to a new tempo that can cause disruption, discomfort. So how do we set ourselves up for success in an unsettled time?  Even when we're choosing the change, it can be uncomfortable and off putting, so how do we embrace transition to get to the other side of change and transformation?

Breathe.  When our minds and lives swirl with overwhelm about the future or resistance because we are focused on the past, it can be best to pause, take a breath and pay attention to the moment.  Where are you, right now?  When paying attention to the breath, there is nowhere else your mind can really go except to the inhale and exhale.  What is the cadence of your breath?  Does it start in your belly or your chest? Does the breath enter your nose and out your mouth? How long or short is the breath?  All of these questions lead us back to the breath, the present.  And all the while the breathing oxygenates the blood and supports our parasympathetic nervous system (helping us to relax rather than fight or flee or stress.)

Notice.   What was the cadence or rhythm I had previously and what does my future routine require of me?  Where was I in the recent past and where do I want to be in my near future?  A summer routine can be more flexible and less structured and the fall may require continuity.  Notice the difference of what your environment is asking of you and set an intention of what you hope to achieve going forward.  Identifying where you want to go and how you want to get there can give you agency over process and outcome.

Prepare.  We can’t plan for everything, but we can have a sense of what will help us get through a time of transition.  If kids are going back to school, what does that schedule look like?  If work requires you to be in the office more regularly, what will your body movement and commute look like? Take stock of the tools in your tool box.  Do you prepare meals on Sunday for the week?  Do you wake up 15 minutes earlier to have time for yourself? Do you take a lunch break walk for fresh air once back in the office? What are the tips and tricks that work for you to help you feel balance as you transition to a different rhythm?

Play. We don’t play enough.  And that doesn’t mean you need to play dress up, build with legos, color or play freeze tag. But could you, if you wanted to?  What would play look like for you now?  Can you channel your inner child and let them out to play?  Playing an instrument, getting together with friends, laying on the floor while watching a show can be ways that a person plays.  Mixing up a pattern can be enough of a shift to encourage brevity and help with transition.  Get curious and explore how play might look like for you today.

Change isn’t hard, transition is.  But it can be more growth than pain.  If we acknowledge the shift that is occurring or about to happen, we are aware and can embrace the transition rather than brace for it.  Change your cadence.  Finding a new rhythm, even a transitory pace can help with the shift from old to new. Don’t forget to breathe and we’ll see you on the other side of transition- to change!