MIND newsletter: Transitions and sensegiving
Happy Saturday everyone!
1. M (Challenge your mindset)
This week someone asked me how I got prepared for my transitions, one cross country and another cross field.
Transition is an unpleasant process, and retrospective. Making sense of whatever action or situation happened or should have happened usually comes later, after things are completed.
I still remembered an interview with a Ukrainian refugee. While the first part of the interview was full of frustration, fear, sadness, and anger, the second part made it one of the most memorable conversations I have had. War and displacement weren’t something she desired, yet she felt grateful for how they pushed her to grow, an extraordinary transformation within such a short amount of time.
The success of a transition perhaps does not only rely on pre-process readiness but also sense-giving practices during and after the journey.
2. I (I’m my own coach)
Schlossberg, in her 4S model of life transitions, said that each transition is leading to change and will have 4 components. Being aware of these 4 components, I find, is very helpful in approaching a transition.
The situation: recognize what is the trigger of the transition, what happened causing the transition. Where are you in your life when the transition occurs? What is the current social condition? Did you experience a similar transition in the past? What emotions do you have?
The self: how much you understand yourself will greatly influence how you experience the transition. Who are you? How does the transition affect your roles and identity?
The support: Supports are often lost or disrupted during the transition. Knowing that allows you to be more proactive in identifying the functions of lost supports and finding ways to replicate them.
The strategies: there are usually 3 types of strategies developed during a transition. What strategies are you using to respond to the situation? What strategies are you using to change the meaning of the situation? And what strategies are you using to manage stress and your mental well-being?
3. N (The power of Now)
One of the important functions of support is affirmations. It’s when you are surrounded by people who like you, care about you and let you know it. No matter what transition you are going through, make sure you find a community that can give you that sense of belonging and mattering.
Is there such a community in your current life setting?
4. D (Do)
What can you do to keep nurturing your connection with your community?
