Reintegration
Is it challenging for you when the seasons change, when you come home from work, or after travelling and not sure why?
Let me start with a story. There I was, a new mom of 2 babies, my maternity leave was almost up and I was ready to go back to work as the Head of Training for Ivivva. This came with its own set of challenges. What now seems possible was impossible at that time. The sole act of getting dressed, leaving the house in clean clothes (without food or breast milk on my shirt) was a feat of its own. Not to mention the tears strolling down their faces (and mine) as I drove away. As the kids grew into toddlers, I started to travel for work. What started with one night, quickly became 5 nights. In the evening I would kiss them goodnight and say, “Mommy has to go for work and I’ll be back in 6 days.” Holy smokes this was never easy. The flight to the destination was a moment to clear my thoughts and begin to focus on the upcoming work intentionally. The shift from mother to trainer to facilitator to wife to colleague and so on kept happening and it was as if I was crashing over and over again as I moved from one role to the other. I knew something needed to give in order to have a more enjoyable ride in between these transitions.
Anywhere there is a slight change in pace, in people, relationships and duties there is a moment to reintegrate. To close one door and open the other fully present to what is at hand.
Reintegration matters. It can be the difference between smooth transitions or rocky starts. Learning about reintegration forever changed my whole life. I began to honour the pause, to take a moment to complete what I was doing to step into a new situation with ease. In this case, I learned to use the time I had to travel to work and back home to complete any conversations, emails, and thoughts so that by the time I got to where I going I was fully present and ready to step into whatever may be at play. Regardless if it was a plane ride, a drive, or even a walk, I used those moments to bring in gratitude, appreciation and closure. If it’s time for you to integrate this practice of reintegration into your life right now, keep on reading.
How you reintegrate can determine your enjoyment, your boundaries and establish the connection between you and others. I’ve added some tips that have worked for me below.
Notice the moments in your life that feel challenging. The slight second when you enter a space and don’t feel completely ready. Perhaps you’re not. In these cases, here are some suggestions that worked for me, it’s up to you to take these as mere options and find possibilities that will work specifically for you.
When you have a full day or more:
Before re-entering your norm, take a full day to restore. This can be journaling on the experience you just had, taking a walk in the woods or finding a peaceful and quiet area that allows you to be reflective.
When you have an hour:
Find some way to clear your mind before transitioning back “home.” Some ways I do this is by listening to music as this allows the mind to remember, to appreciate or to let go.
When you have minutes:
Use a mantra or a phrase to close out your thoughts to transition to a new one. I use, “I am complete.” This allows me to quickly close out the work I was doing and re-enter the situations I’m going into without carrying over the thoughts.
There is a necessary moment to pause between experiences in your life. Take advantage of these transitions to reflect, to pause and then step into the new normal feeling 100% present. Let’s call the moments: a powerful reintegration into your life.
Your turn! Go find those clunky moments and commit to smoothing them over with determination and celebration. Trust me when I say that this can be transformative. Because the waves of change don’t need to feel like they are crashing against the breakwater, when in fact they can gently reach the beach with grace.
With you in change,
Cecily