Transition is defined as “a change from one state or condition to another” by Merriam Webster https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transition.
I don’t like transitions, I never have. I am not the kind of person who easily goes with the flow despite years of trying to be otherwise!
September is traditionally a time of transition for many. Maybe it is our children transitioning from home to that first day of Junior Kindergarten (I remember that well!), or our teen is entering high school for the first time or our young adult moves away to university. Whatever it is - transition can be hard.
As any good coach would do, I’ve spent some time getting curious about this. Why is it so hard? What can I do to embrace it?
I think one of the things that is scary about transitory life phases is the unknown. So many “what if’s” lurking around the corner. Despite our best efforts we can’t control for unknowns (I know I’ve tried!) - but we can be intentional with how we approach and move through these phases of change.
Acknowledgment is a good place to start. Yes, it is nerve wracking when your little one starts JK, and yes it is terrifying when your child moves away to university the first time (says the mum of the child who has just left home for university for the first time). It is ok to "feel the feels"
as I like to say. What we endeavour to avoid, is for the emotions to take over and overwhelm us. This interrupts our ability to problem solve and get perspective.
Patience and kindness aimed towards ourselves goes a long way. What are the resources available to us? Who are the resources available to us? How might we support the foundational parts of good mental health - nutrition, sleep, exercise, connection?
Having a game plan is a good idea, but know that sometimes plans go sideways. What then? We go back to the drawing board. We acknowledge, we identify resources and we lean into our strengths - kindness, teamwork, leadership, spirituality, humour - whatever they may be.
Just know that at the end of the day as time moves on the phase we have transitioned into will become the new normal. At least that’s what I keep telling myself!