Transitions in the design world are a big deal (think: entries). In one of my first school projects, we had to design a space that included a primary and secondary space and two transitions. Transitions should be intentional, well thought out, and have an impact; they are an experience. Likewise, taking the time to design our daily transitions can help set the tone for our day and bring order and routine, which means less work for our brains because the decision of what to do has already been made and we are essentially running on autopilot.

With all this new found time at home all day everyday, I hoped to create some habits that in the past have been hard to make time for. Watching Netflix as a family every night isn’t quite what I had in mind, but it does help with our sanity! Netflix aside, meditation is something I’ve dabbled in for several years that is becoming a daily habit.

I’m naturally an early riser and am usually the first one awake. I relish a quiet house first thing in the morning, but I’m also limited as to what I can do. The last thing I want is to wake anyone before I’ve had my alone time. Pre-Covid-19 Ashley would normally just catch up on the news from the comfort of my bed until I absolutely had to crawl out and get ready. But lately I’ve been sneaking downstairs for 10-20 minutes by myself to meditate. To me, meditation brings presence and stillness, rarities in this fast paced world. These few minutes spent meditating are making a difference in my mood, my focus, and receiving inspiration. I was using the Headspace app which was helpful, but now that I know the process, I think I prefer just guiding myself. (If you have an app you use or any meditation tips, please share via Instagram so I can give it a try!)

Being an early riser, my energy is spent by bedtime and my patience evaporates at the time I need it most.  Bedtime became such a loathed and dreaded experience (herding cats comes to mind…), I knew something had to change. So we committed to eating an earlier dinner and turning off the TV around 7:30, which makes the transition to bedtime less hectic.

I find not having enough time for the daily transitions tends to make me feel rushed and stressed, which makes everyone else feel the same. Intentionally carving out time at the beginning and end of the day to transition from sleep to wake and wake to sleep is making a positive difference in our house. Let me know if you have any tips or routines that help you with your daily transitions!