The Power of Transition

Hello friends!

I hope this finds you healthy, content, and happy!  I have heard the pandemic referred to as the Great Pause.  If I’m being honest, I don’t love the idea of pausing… putting life on hold, being stagnant, waiting.  I believe we are currently making our way through a huge transition, & while we might not know where the transition is leading us at least we know we’re still moving toward somewhere.

Transitions are very powerful in our everyday life even if you don’t realize you have them.  Transitions are those sometimes sneaky little periods of time throughout the day where we move from one role &/or task to another.  For most the commute to & from work is a transition into & out of your professional role.  The beauty in transitions is they allow us to leave behind all of the things still on our plate from one aspect of our life while fully committing ourselves to the next task or role.  Do you notice how long it takes to get back on track when you are interrupted by a phone call or email?  This is because there is no transition to allow you to flow from one aspect of your day into the next.  It takes much more time and effort to acclimate to abrupt and sudden redirection.

Similarly, there was no transition into this pandemic causing more time and effort being needed to adjust.  Life has not stopped though, and I don’t believe it has paused either; unless we’ve made the choice for it be so.  You have the ability to determine what your transition during & out of the pandemic will look like.  If you use this time of transition intentionally what would you want to look, feel, and be like on the other side of it?  Regarding the transition occurring around us in our world, it has the potential of being a large scale cultural transition to how we do life.  With this in mind, lets talk transition through cultural change.

The Five Rs

Kate Berardo’s 5Rs (2012) discusses five major areas affected by change.  While Berardo’s focus is on cultural competency & how to adjust to cultures when taking a job or trip abroad, the 5Rs are equally valuable during this time of great transition.  Along with each ‘R’ below, you will find some questions for introspection or journaling prompts for your personal use.

Routines

Humans, being creatures of habit, have daily routines which provide comfort through consistency and predictability.  Routines & rituals can diminish stress as they offer a sense of grounding & centeredness to our day.  Most of us have experienced normal routines being derailed–childcare, work, shopping, meal times, exercise, sleeping, & hobbies.  Simply getting groceries once per week can require a great deal more planning than those frequent store runs ever did.  Establishing new routines can assist in adapting to this new lifestyle.  Keep in mind the power of transitions as you examine what routines might serve you well.  Perhaps a short two song dance party with your child will help you transition from work to preparing dinner while also allowing your child to transition from not disturbing you while you work to having time to interact.  This gives you a few moments to release the role of work before being met with a multitude of requests from your child.

• How am I remaining grounded and centered?
• What new routines, intentional and unintentional, have I created in response to my new lifestyle?  Have they been beneficial or unuseful?
• Where can I add transitioning routines to my day to allow me to flow from one aspect to the next?

*It’s helpful to establish routines which can be practiced anywhere (i.e. deep breathing, tapping, mantras, music, etc).

Reactions

People are reacting much differently to the world around them or much differently than what we might expect while in public or on social media.  How others react to us can be impactful on our self perspective, emotions, and behaviors.  More than once I have found myself in an awkward place of wondering if the individual I am looking at can see my smile from behind the mask or if I should verbally acknowledge them.  Or if I verbally speak will they be annoyed by the fact I may be speaking my germs into the environment around them.  Interactions used to not be so tricky!

• When have I made assumptions about someone’s response when I would have normally been able to read their facial expression which is now covered by a mask?  How can I connect with others and show emotions aside from smiling/facial expressions?
• What do I observe by making eye contact?
• How can I improve communication & interactions with others from 6′ away with a mask covering my face?

Roles

Our roles are part of our identities giving us meaning, purpose, & enhancing our resources.  Roles have been redefined as many find themselves simultaneously being a parent & an employee, or trying to work in an environment shared with your spouse which is filled with constant distractions to productivity.  Having multiple roles is actually associated with having less anxiety, depression, or distress.  However, when all of those roles must be performed at the same time stress & anxiety can quickly mount.

• Which roles am I thriving in during this time of change?  Which roles are most challening?
• What strengths are leading to success in the roles in which I’m thriving?
• How can I utilize my characteristics of strength to help the role I feel I’m struggling in right now?
• What expectations am I placing on myself regarding the roles I’m taking on AND how I fulfill these roles?  What expectations of myself can I release?

Relationships

Relationships provide value in many ways.  Healthy relationships offer fulfillment, satisfaction, joy, support during times of stress, & increased resiliency.  New relationships produce positive feelings of expansion & enrichment.  Virtual relationships & relationships from 6′ can feel foreign or awkward as we adjust to them.  Meeting new people during this time has become more difficult as well.  Humans are made for connection so relationships are very important in helping to navigate through change.

• How have I adapted to be able to nurture the relationships I value?
• Where do I feel lacking in my relationships & connections with others?
• What additional adaptations can I make to connect, network, & socialize?  What’s prevented me from doing so sooner? 

Reflections About Yourself

Self reflection is the serious thought about one’s character, actions, & motives which allows one to learn more about their fundamental nature & essence.  You may notice yourself change during this time of transition; some changes may be subtle while others are significant. These changes might come with feeling two ways about the same thing.  For instance you might have relief to no longer have concern about a particular issue while also feeling loss of no longer being able to enjoy something that used to matter to you.  Self reflections can generate empowerment during stressful times & release negative feelings.  Specifically selected areas of self reflection can anchor you to internal resources such as resilience, inner strength, & perseverance which can exponentially increase self confidence and self esteem.

• What major accomplishments have I achieved in the past during a time when I felt all alone?
• In what ways do I see myself differently than before the pandemic?  How can I release judgement from these new qualities?  (For example:  I am not disciplined in waking early to complete a morning routine during this time.  I hold judgement of this being a detrimental habit.  In releasing judgement I can see this break in discipline is a well deserved vacation from a rigid daily schedule.)
• How have I utilized perseverance & inner strength to overcome unpredictable & uncertain circumstances in the past?

Right now can be a time of opportunity & growth.  Decide how you want to transition through this historical period of time, & then go after it!  I’m very excited to see what’s on the other side of this transition, both from a personal standpoint & a collective one!  Stay well, & thanks for stopping by!

Peace & Love,

Janessa