12. Transitions Challenge
How do you move from one part of your life to another?
We move in and out of many different roles throughout the day. Each role requires a different part of us and comes with its own expectations. On any given day I could be a mother, teacher, daughter, friend, child-transporter, wife or home-maker. I wear many different hats and juggle many different balls.
What I’d noticed is often I would carry baggage over from one role to the other. It’s like I was wearing the wrong hat juggling the wrong balls! The classic example for me is having stuff going on in my head from work overtaking my family space. I noticed times when my children were telling me about their day and I’m off in ‘la-la land’ preoccupied with a difficult conversation at work.
The question is how do we transition smoothly from one part of our lives to another without carrying over all the excess baggage. How do we wear the right hat and juggle the right balls at the right time?
This challenge was about practicing the transition mindfully. I had listened to a podcast about this guy who was extremely successful but very busy. He would allow himself a few minutes in between roles where he would focus on his breathe, ground himself and be intentional about who he needed to be for the next role required of him. So, for the next 19 days I practiced mindful transitions whenever I was in the car and parked for a couple of minutes before moving off to my next activity.
I found it helped minimise the feeling of overwhelm, especially when I was feeling stretched trying to balance work and family expectations. I felt I brought a better energy, attitude and presence to the next situation, but like many wellbeing tools and strategies I’ve tried I need to keep practicing it as I tend to slip back into old ways. I would definitely recommend trying this strategy if you feel overwhelmed and torn between trying to do too many things. Just start by trying to give yourself a little time in between activities to recentre and let me know how it goes!