Transitions, feelings, and choices
End of summer greetings!
There’s something about this time of year that makes everything feel like it’s shifting.
For some people, it’s literally back-to-school season. New classrooms, new schedules, new teachers, new roommates, new routines.
For others, the change is more subtle. Summer is winding down. Calendars are filling back up. Work picks up. Family routines shift. The days start to feel a little different.
And transitions, even good ones, can bring big feelings.
You can be excited and anxious at the same time.
Ready for something new and still miss what came before.
Grateful for a fresh start and completely overwhelmed by it.
Sometimes we assume that if a change is positive, we should feel good about it. But our nervous systems don’t always know the difference. Change is still change, and it asks us to adjust.
So if you, your child, your student, your client, or someone you care about seems a little more emotional, tired, irritable, quiet, scattered, clingy, restless, or overwhelmed right now, it may not mean anything is wrong.
It may simply mean something is changing.
What can help?
Make room for mixed feelings.
Two things can be true at once. You can be excited and nervous. Hopeful and sad. Ready and unsure.
Pay attention to what your body needs.
Transitions can take more energy than we realize. Food, water, sleep, movement, quiet, sensory breaks, connection, and time to decompress matter.
Lower the pressure to adjust immediately.
You do not have to have the new routine figured out on day one. Neither does anyone you’re supporting.
Get curious before trying to fix the feeling.
Instead of asking, “How do I make this go away?” try, “What is this feeling telling me?” or “What would help right now?"
Try one thing at a time.
Coping does not have to be a perfect plan. Sometimes it is taking a walk. Sometimes it is asking for help. Sometimes it is sitting quietly for ten minutes before deciding what comes next.
The goal is not always to get calm as quickly as possible.
Sometimes the goal is simply to notice what is happening, give yourself a little space, and choose the next step that makes sense for you.
That idea is also at the heart of Brightlight Orchard.
In Angry Apple and the Playground Problem, Apple’s anger does not have to disappear before the story can move forward. Readers notice what is happening, make a choice, and see where it leads. Different choices create different paths and endings, just like they do in real life.
The Kickstarter is live now, and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has already backed it, shared it, or sent it to someone who might connect with it.
If you’d like to see the book, Kickstarter-exclusive rewards, and campaign details, click here:
Whatever this new season looks like for you, I hope you give yourself a little room to adjust.
Big feelings can come with change.
They don’t mean you’re doing it wrong.
Talk soon,
Missy ✨
Dr. Missy Kleinz, PhD, LPC
Creator of BIG Feelings + Brightlight Orchard