Welcome to The Mind Shift Moment with Dr. Veronica Griffin, from Protect Each One Consulting, LLC. I am Dr. Veronica Griffin. This is a moment to pause, reflect, and choose a thoughtful next step. Our discussion is educational and offers general reflection rather than individualized treatment. You can participate at your own pace, skip any prompt, or simply listen. If you are driving or doing something that needs your attention, save the exercise for later. The people in our examples are fictional. Take what is useful and leave room for your own circumstances.
A transition can make familiar questions feel new. What is expected of me now? Who can I rely on? What should I do first? Today we are making a little structure around change. You may be moving, changing roles, adjusting to a relationship shift, or learning how to live with a new responsibility. You do not have to explain the whole transition to begin.
Choose one area that feels uncertain and describe it plainly. Perhaps you are waiting for a work decision or learning a new family routine. Write what has changed, what remains steady, and what information you still need. The steady part can be small: a person you can call, a familiar meal, or a task you already know how to do. This exercise organizes the situation without pretending that everything can be controlled.
Imagine a fictional employee, Rowan, moving to a new team. Rowan worries about every unwritten expectation and begins working late to avoid making a mistake. A useful next step could be asking the supervisor about priorities, review procedures, and how questions are handled. The answers may not remove every uncertainty, but they make several expectations explicit. Rowan can then decide what to learn first rather than trying to anticipate the entire role alone.
For your exercise, make three columns titled known, unknown, and next question. Put one or two items in each. Choose a question that another person could reasonably answer. If the answer is not available yet, ask when an update is expected. You can also identify a decision that belongs to a later stage. Giving that decision a place in the future may help you focus on what is actually required today.
[Reflection pause: 30 seconds.]
Change can include feelings that seem inconsistent. You may welcome an opportunity and miss what came before. You can feel relief and uncertainty together. There is no need to choose one emotion as the official account of the transition. Ask which feeling needs acknowledgment and which task needs action. Those may require different responses: a conversation for the feeling and a short list for the task.
Consider who has useful information and who offers supportive company. One person may do both, and sometimes the roles are different. A colleague may explain a procedure while a friend helps you make room for the emotional part. Be clear about what you are asking. You might say: I need help understanding the process. Or: I know the next step, and I would appreciate someone listening while I talk about the change.
This week, choose one question to ask and one familiar support to keep. Review what you learn before adding new decisions. If the transition is causing persistent distress or making it difficult to function, professional support can help you consider your options. You can approach change in pieces. Let the next step be one that gives you information, preserves a useful connection, or makes the day a little more workable.
Here is your journal question: What is known, what remains unknown, and what question would help me move forward? You can write a sentence, make a brief list, or consider it quietly. You do not have to share what you write. If the reflection feels unhelpful, stop and choose an ordinary activity instead. We will leave a little space here.
[Reflection pause: 30 seconds.]
Your practical step for this week is: Ask one answerable question and keep one familiar source of support.
Before we close, choose what you want to carry into the next few days. Make the step small enough to use and clear enough to recognize. You can return to the question later, adapt the exercise, or discuss it with someone you trust. If this concern is persistent, worsening, or affecting daily life, a qualified professional can help you consider support that fits your situation. Thank you for making room for this conversation.
This has been a MindShift moment with Dr. Veronica Griffin. I am a Clinical Social Work Researcher, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with Protect Each One Consulting, LLC. My work connects research with trauma-informed practice to support healing, resilience, and personal growth. Thank you for taking this moment to pause, reflect, and care for yourself. Healing begins in a safe space—Protect Each One.