Resting! Relishing a Pause in Transition
A lake beach in North Carolina; Credit: Emily Giacomini
In March’s article I proposed a FREEing path through a career transition. After losing a job to a reorganization, I realized I was FREE to Finish Well, Rest, Explore and then Engage in my next commitment. In April we dug a bit deeper into Finishing Well and this month we’ll look at Resting.
Once you’ve Finished Well at your job, hopefully you’ll have the luxury to enter the Resting phase and don’t need to jump straight into another job. Our minds and bodies appreciate time to rest and recuperate as each season comes to an end.
Resting includes four areas:
1) Physical: Check in with yourself. How well are you eating? What about sleeping? Are you getting enough exercise so that your body is staying healthy? Getting active in some physical activity can be a kind of “rest” in that it demands your full attention and distracts your mind from dwelling on either the recent change or on what you’ll do next. It’s said that whatever is good for your heart is also good for your brain, and you’ll need your brain to be engaged for the Exploring and Engaging phases so it can’t hurt to treat it well now!
2) Emotional: How are you taking care of yourself emotionally? Going through a transition can be challenging. How encouraging is your self-talk? If it leaves something to be desired, brainstorm some phrases you could tell yourself to stay positive. “You’re on your way!” “The best is yet to come.” “Recharge, renew, refresh.” Use whatever inspires you. Also consider who comprises your support team. This could include a trusted family member, close friends, mentors or spiritual leaders in your life- people with whom can you be honest with what you’re experiencing as your life shifts. Sharing with a confidante who knows you deeply and listens well can relieve lots of stress.
3) Social: Who’s in your social network? What does “fun” look like for you? Now that you have more time to connect with others, this could be a chance to invite friends to a picnic, attend a live concert or musical, or join a MeetUp or community group to try your hand at a hobby while making some new acquaintances. People are designed for community. Plus, it’s often more enjoyable to collaborate on an activity, with the added benefit of exchanging practical solutions for every-day life challenges.
4) Spiritual: a life shift can be a period when many people contemplate their spiritual beliefs and how those fit with or influence their life’s direction. How are you doing spiritually? Contemplate any life lessons you can take from your last experience- actions of which you’re proud and choices that may not have served you well. Perhaps you learned a particular work environment is a fit for you in certain ways and not others. Make a note of how you’ve grown and anything else you want to capture from this period.
In my Resting phase, I capitalized on the chance to get away to the woods of western North Carolina to hike and connect with old friends and it was an incredible way to re-energize in all four areas.
As we gear up for the Exploring phase next month, please register to join me for a free webinar June 3rd 12-1pm on Informational Interviews, hosted by Women in Technology and open to all: https://www.womenintechnology.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=634&Itemid=116&year=2022&month=06&day=03&title=the-basics-and-benefits-of-informational-interviews&uid=78c3c67eaf27059a0249d9cc06ef074f
Enjoy your Rest!