Time: 2 minutes. Perfect between emails, meetings, or moods.
Step 1: Spot
Ask yourself: Where am I in an in-between state right now?
Maybe between emails, between focus and fatigue, between work and home, or between one version of your career and the next.
Notice both the small and the big transitions. Each one is a doorway marking transition.
Step 2: Ground
Look around you. Find one point of light or warmth. A window, lamp, or patch of sunlight. Let your eyes rest there for a moment or two. Then touch something solid such as your chair, mug, or steering wheel.
Choose a thought: I’m here. I may be at a doorway, but I am, right here, right now.
Straighten your spine, plant your feet, feel the ground beneath you.
Let your body register: you are safe, steady, and ready.
Step 3: Bridge
Take one action that helps you cross the threshold with intention. It can be small, medium or large, depending on your circumstance and the liminal state. Here are some examples
- Between emails: close your inbox tab, stretch your hands, or look out a window for one full minute before opening the next message.
- Between focus and fatigue: wash your face; change your posture; or drink something cool to signal renewal.
- Between work and home: don't fight traffic, go with the flow instead; change clothes; adjust the lighting; take a short walk to reset your energy.
- Between one version of your career and the next: archive old files; revisit your workspace setup, or write one sentence that names what you are bring to creation.
Your brain needs clear cues to switch contexts efficiently. When you close one loop before opening another, you reduce "attention residue" or the leftover mental activity that clouds focus and decision-making.
A simple reset tells your system the last task is complete, freeing energy and attention for what’s next.