ADHD Life with Grace and Ease....Its all about Transitions!
Let's Talk About Transitions!! What are they? What do they look like? How can they help add grace and ease to our lives? Read on to find out....
Since it's back-to-school time for many of us I thought this would be a great time to share thoughts on how transitions can help make life easier! Actually, you don't necessarily need a big change or a seasonal shift to use transitions. You can also find ways to utilize transitions as a tool in the day to day to ease your flow into and out of tasks.
I wanted to share one of my own experiences around using transitions to work for me...
When I actively and intentionally plan for transitions my whole life experience is different.
I had a wonderful summer and vacation and am now fully back into the swing of my work and school life with my kids.....How did I do it? How did I do it in a way that was not only pleasant but really productive?? What was my key to success?
TRANSITIONS!
What exactly are transitions? If you look up the definition of transitions you will find things like...
- a process of changing from one state to another
- Passage from place to another
- a period of time
- something that connects two occurrences or ideas
- changing gears
- shifting focus
- moving from one thing to another
What does it mean when we talk about transitions as they relate to ADHD management? Why does this even matter? Transitions can be difficult for folks with adhd, often because of executive function weaknesses but also because it requires energy and focus to transition. We experience many transitions throughout our day, some big and obvious like going to work and getting into 'work mode' or the not so obvious such as stopping email replies and starting to work on a report or project. Some also require a physical change in our environment such as going to school while other transitions require more of a mindset shift which can be more subtle.
When I allowed the time and space for transitions in coming back from vacation I felt like I was living a new life! Literally I was experiencing something completely new...And here's how it went…..Here is how I intentionally created the transitions for myself…Here is how I managed the transition from summer to fall in a way that was far more enjoyable to myself and my family. I would say I did it with Grace & Ease....
- Plan for it... I lightened my workload the day before I left by keeping it to just two clients that day - this way I had the energy and focus I needed in order to be on task with all the details for vacation (packing, loading the car, preparing up my home, etc)...
- Plan again...The day we got back I allowed for more time before beginning my work week... I did not schedule any clients until Tuesday afternoon…..We got back late Saturday night so I had plenty of time to reacclimate and settle back into home life (including unpacking, laundry, groceries, and getting supplies to restock my busy home life with 4 teenagers)
And... this even allowed me time to RELAX before my work week began.....
- In addition, I was able to comfortably spend time planning for my week and easing into working with my clients....I found myself more engaged and present for myself, my family, and my clients!
It was a completely different experience!
What a difference it makes when I allow for these types of transitions in my life...When I actively and intentionally plan for transitions my whole experience is different.
In the past (pre-ADHD Life Coaching) I would have been so overwhelmed - anxious - and stressed with the before and afters of vacation.....yelling at my kids and my husband.. thinking things like "Ugh... vacation is too much work..." ...I cringe just thinking about it...
We often do not allow ourselves what we need moment to moment.... This includes things like what our brain needs in order to operate well, giving ourselves time & space, actively and intentionally planning for what we need, such as transitions.....
Transitions are like a bridge or a path... it gets us to our destination but... in a way that is much more pleasant! It usually involves slowing down and becoming more mindful or present in the moment.
When you begin to think about transitions for yourself and a tool for managing ADHD what comes to mind? What is one thing you can do in order to help yourself build this into your life so that you can have a more pleasant experience in whatever it is you are pursuing….?
Here are a few questions to help you along the way....ask yourself…..
- Where in my life, could transitions help me to experience something different or better?
- What could transitions in these areas look like?
- What do you need to do first in order to build these transitions into your life where you need them?
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Hope this helps you enjoy life more and find more Grace and Ease in each and every day! Let's talk to get more Grace and Ease into your Life.
