Establish a Transition Mode

A violin cannot play a sweet note unless the strings are under pressure. But if you put too much pressure on the strings, they snap. So do we. When the violin is not being used, you release the tension on the strings. We, too, need periods of relaxation to recover and renew.”

-Tanya Wheway

Think of transitioning as moving from one house to another. It doesn’t happen without an investment. You need to pack things into boxes, create lots of labels, and often move into a temporary home before your final location. On the arrival end, you then need to unpack boxes and peel off those labels before you can finally settle into that new home. Similarly, when working at 100% effectiveness (i.e., overdrive), regaining a sense of normality isn’t something that happens simply by waking up the next morning. You’ll need to be kind to yourself and realize that you may not be up to your normal workout routine or your typical night out adventures. In fact, you may find that you’ll need to mentally unplug, sit on the couch, and watch TV for 8 hours straight-to each his or her own. That doesn’t mean you are a slacker!

Realizing that this “transition mode” is actually a normal part of your routine will allow you to release the tension associated with the conflict that exists between “what I should be doing” and “what I really need to be doing.” It’s likely that you’ll need to establish more “you” time to return to your baseline. Schedule this time on your calendar so that you can negate the tension before it has time to build upon you. This may feel uncomfortable, so plan ahead to be good to yourself.