This week, my children and I have been navigating a transition.
For them, it was returning to school after half term and for me, it was returning to work after a week of annual leave. These are of course different situations, but a surprisingly similar challenge!
As autistic and ADHD people, we often talk about routines, predictability, and managing change. However, one thing I don’t think we talk about enough is the hidden effort involved in moving from one state to another. Sometimes the challenge isn’t the thing we’re transitioning into, but the transition itself. When people return to work after annual leave, they’re often asked questions such as:
“Did you have a nice break?”
“Feeling refreshed?”
“What have you got planned this week?”
What people don’t often see is the amount of mental processing happening behind the scenes.
Returning to work can involve:
- Reconnecting with unfinished tasks
- Checking emails and messages
- Remembering where you left off
- Switching from holiday mode into work mode
- Adjusting to different expectations and demands
- Managing the anxiety of what may have happened while you were away
Similarly, returning to school can involve:
- Readjusting to routines
- Managing sensory environments
- Reconnecting with peers and staff
- Coping with academic expectations
- Handling the uncertainty of what might happen during the day
For some people, these changes are relatively easy, whereas for others, they require a significant amount of energy.
Why Holidays Can Be Both Helpful and Challenging
Something I’ve noticed about myself is that even when I’m not working, I still benefit from routine. As a parent, school holidays and term time affect my routine too. During annual leave, I enjoy having more flexibility and freedom. However, after a while, I can also find myself missing some of the structure that work provides. At the same time, going straight back into a full workload isn’t always realistic either. The challenge is finding a bridge between the two.
Over the years, I’ve learned that expecting myself to switch instantly from “off” to “fully productive” doesn’t work particularly well.
Instead, if I have the capacity, I try to create a gentler transition.
For example:
- I might spend a little time checking emails before returning fully to work.
- I review my planner and identify priorities.
- I focus on urgent tasks first rather than trying to do everything.
- I allow myself time to get back into the flow.
- I remind myself that catching up is a process, not an event.
This week, my first day back wasn’t about achieving everything, it was about reconnecting with my work, responding to what was important, and gradually finding my rhythm again.
Transitions Are Work Too!
Whether it’s returning to school, going back to work, starting a new job, moving house, beginning a relationship, ending one, or even switching between tasks during the day, transitions require effort, yet that effort isn’t always visible.
If you find transitions difficult, it doesn’t mean you’re lazy, unmotivated, or incapable.
It may simply mean that your brain needs a little more time, structure, or support to make the shift, and that’s okay. Sometimes success isn’t about how quickly you jump back in, but recognising that transitions are work too.