The End-of-Day Ritual.
Hi There,
Let’s “double click” on something I included in this month’s DRIVEN article Give Yourself Some Space, challenging you to look at stress differently. I reflected on a few methods to manage stress that have been most impactful with clients. The finale was to implement a transition ceremony at the end of your virtual workday before you re-enter “home life”. And it’s the gift that keeps on giving!
This practice has historically proven to be pivotal for adopters. The practicality of the transition was illuminated during a Regulars’ Table discussion led by my colleague Jane Owen. In the book Conversational Intelligence: Changing Conversations in a Changing World, Jane wrote a chapter about PACE— a concept introduced by our mentor Judith E Glaser. The first aspect of PACE is considering how to use physical space to align your mindset with the present.
When you think about it, working from home has eliminated the environmental transition provided by the daily commute. When on the train or in the car, not only can you be alone with your thoughts, but you are physically transitioning through space. And that changing scenery can neurochemically change your perspective.
Moving from the dining room table into the kitchen doesn’t exactly offer the same effect as moving from an office building into a home. So not only does your brain stay in work mode as you robotically switch rooms to “start the next job”, but your body doesn’t even go through a temperature change as a marker for the end-of-day. There’s simply no interrupter to signal to your brain to stop and enjoy your evening.
Think of your end-of-day ritual as a Flintstonian whistle, alerting your brain to shift gears into being present with the next chapter of the day, and alerting your body that it’s time to reacclimate. Besides the suggestions I offered in the article, also consider these transitionary rituals:
1. Take a brisk end-of-day walk. As your body engages, you’ll subconsciously transition to a different state of mind.
2. Take a local stroll and investigate the daily progress of the springtime buds— appearing, opening and growing.
3. Take 20 minutes to transport your mind to a different world by checking out our updated resources for Women’s History Month.
What effective techniques have you discovered for transitioning from work to life?
Cheers!
-Deborah
Deborah Goldstein
DRIVEN Professionals / Forbes / Linkedin
info@drivenpros.com | LinkedIn
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