Understanding Transition Time and how it effects your research

So you have come back from the holidays and realised that you have completely forgotten where you left off. Maybe you planned well and created a "to-do" list for your return, only to find your mind full of fluff and memories.

You have forgotten how to read... how to write... what even is your research topic, again?

You are not alone. Transitioning is difficult.

Transition time is referred to in many different ways. Above, the transition is between "holiday mode" and "work mode", but it can also refer to the transition between smaller, differing daily tasks.

Transitioning between teaching/tutoring and data analysis requires your brain to think through and problem-solve in different ways. Transitioning between a meeting and writing is difficult too. In both examples, you are going from higher energy, more engaging activities, to potentially more thoughtful, individualised ones. This is hard for a bunch of psychological and biological reasons. (Hello, nervous system! How you doing, adrenaline?).

Some people "transition" more effectively or efficiently than others. In some ways, this ability may come more naturally to some of us, but there are also strategies we can use to help us transition.

In my job, I have to transition between clients with very different needs, projects, and personalities, sometimes within minutes of each other. I also often have to help my clients "get back into" their work and thereby help them transition.

In the process, I have learned some tricks and strategies that may help you.

1. Avoid unnecessary transitions

Ok, this one may seem obvious, but hear me out.

Many of the transitions we may experience over a year or over a day are because of poor planning or poor boundaries.

Without having a plan for the day, "life happens". We meander between tasks or do not properly schedule meetings and tasks. Things that would have been better scheduled fall out of the sky with urgency. For instance, having a constant "open door" policy with the undergraduates you lecture may seem good and make you cool and approachable in theory, but it also means you have a more erratic day on average than someone with more dedicated availability times.

Poor boundaries are also a problem. Saying "yes" to things may open up opportunities, but if you are constantly being asked to stand in for someone, to help someone with their stats, or to help set up the conference room, you are providing yourself with more erratic tasks throughout the day. You do not need to be rude! You can just highlight times and days that suit you better.

When you have dedicated time slots to various tasks and activities, your ability to control when and how often you transition improves dramatically.

2. Identify a "transition task" that suits you

This may look different depending on the nature of the transition.

Transitioning between holidays and writing, or between conference week and data collection, are large-scale transitions that may take several days.

One task that benefits from some distance, or more "away time", is editing and drafting. Let us say you have a messy first draft of a chapter or two that was written before the holidays. Reviewing this chapter on your return, while it is no longer fresh in your mind, is helpful. You are more likely to note things like lack of clarity or flow.

Shorter transitions, such as transitioning between a lunchtime office party and data analysis may take a few minutes or an hour and will require a completely different strategy.

Having a task that is relatively simple and requires less "brain power" is often a good idea in these circumstances. This can involve reading an article you have saved or spending this time going through emails (versus consistently throughout the day).

Another option is to have a habit that just generally refocuses you as quickly as possible and gets you re-motivated for research. This may be a small meditation ritual, browsing Science Daily, or listening to the Nature podcast (or something similar in your field).

Overall, having a strategy that moves you forward or helps you transition easily is important.

3. Be realistic about the time you need to transition

As I said earlier, some people transition faster or more effectively than others. Try not to judge yourself for being slower at getting back into the swing of things. Others may be great at transitioning but are also more easily distracted. We all have our issues.

Yet if you know you are a slow transitioner, you do need to account for this. If your schedule is full of one-hour tasks, but you take half an hour to transition between tasks, you are just going to frustrate yourself. In this case, ask yourself how much time you really need to set up that practical, to buffer between your meeting and your writing, and to even start your day. Set aside an appropriate amount of time to get you back into the flow you need to effectively do the task.

Similarly, when heading back from a conference, try not to give yourself too many deadlines the next week. Ask yourself how much time you may need to process that experience and allow yourself to get back to normal. And no... you will likely not work during the conference...

Conclusion

Transitioning between tasks, phases, and mental states takes time. Good planning, a little self-reflection, and setting aside personal strategies will help you be more effective in the long run. But, also importantly, be gentle and work with yourself.