Have you ever arrived back from work, to be abruptly faced with the chaos of home and new expectations? Even though you are still processing your workday, you feel you are expected to instantly change hats and be a different person. If so, then this blog post is for you…

Many of us behave in different ways to suit the situation in which we find ourselves. This is not a bad thing. I’m not talking about wearing a mask, but about different elements of our personalities coming across to suit a particular situation. For example, when I am teaching, my passion and expressive personality is amplified, but it would probably be a bit too much if I remained this way at home. It’s also great for our body-mind to have the opportunity to express different elements of our natural personality. However, it can be difficult to quickly change this behaviour when we leave one environment to instantly enter another.

The workplace involves a lot of masculine energy. But, at night, a woman walks through her front door and is expected to instantly transition into feminine energy and be the loving mum or partner. It takes time to make this transition and we need to honour ourselves this time. If we don’t, then irritation can arise as we try and manage the situation wearing the wrong hat and radiating an energy suited to one that is quite different.

Take a moment and think about all the different situations you have been in over the last week. Would you be exactly the same person in each situation? The general answer is no. I want to emphasise here that this is not talking about changing your personality and not being yourself. I am referring to being able to use your natural traits, but amplifying them or decreasing them to compliment a specific situation. For example, do you behave the same around your parents, friends, partner and work colleagues? No. We remain the same person, but we adapt to the environment and individuals around us.

We need to recognise that we require time to adapt to situations and give our body what I call a ‘Transitional Treat’. So, I invite you to look for little nuggets of time that you can add by way of a transitional treat for yourself. Before you start thinking that this all sounds a bit self-indulgent, remember that this treat is not just for you, but also for the people you will be with next. Allowing time to transition, means you are thoughtfully going into the next situation. Start this practice and watch others notice the difference.

Below are some ideas to allow you to de-stress from your workday and walk into your home in a loving energy, totally engaged with everything that might face you. This applies whether you are going home to children, a partner, a cat, a dog or even entering time alone. It gives you an opportunity to let go of the previous environment and be fully present in the next.

Try out the following transition treats:

• Car meditation – On the way home, find a place you feel safe and comfortable to stop and do a meditation in the car. This may be listening to a meditation, maybe simply taking a few deep breaths, letting go of the day with each out breath, or even a flask filled with your favourite nutritious warm drinks (mine would be cacao…obvs.) and mindfully drinking and enjoying each sip.

• Go to your favourite cafe on the way home. If you have a favourite place to have a cuppa, make the effort and do it. Stop and sit on your own, really enjoying each second and sip of your drink. I want to emphasise that this should not be alcohol, as this will only disrupt your neurological chemistry and alcohol is a depressant, resulting in it having the opposite affect as a transitional treat. Something like a turmeric latte or matcha latte is ideal!

• Journal about the day – Find a spot on the way home, or if you have a shed in the garden let everyone know at home that you will be spending a set amount of time there before coming into the house. Take out three sides of A4 paper (three is always the magic number!), and simply write whatever flows from your head. Don’t think about it, just allow whatever is flowing through your brain in that moment to be written out to clear the brain after the day. It doesn’t matter if sometimes all you write is ‘I don’t know what to write but I’m going to keep writing until something flows out’, or ‘I need to remember to do xxxxx in work tomorrow’. Don’t stop writing or start thinking, just keep the hand moving and the ink flowing until you have reached three pages. Don’t re-read it. You may choose to safely burn it, rip it up and put it in the compost or shred it.

So, how was the transitional treat for you? I’d love you to share any ideas you have for transitional treats or your experiences in the comments below.

Remember, if this post tickles your soul then please feel free to share with friends and family.

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