What’s Your Favourite Transition Moment?
The other day, I went to a café with my son Sebastian after a swim. We were sandy, salty, and ready for something tasty — so we ordered one of those crusty, flour-dusted rolls that feel like a hug in bread form.
And then… we didn’t pick up our phones.
Instead, we looked around. We people-watched. We made up stories: the person tapping their foot — waiting for a friend, maybe a lover? A meeting? A reunion after many years? We used our imaginations, stayed present, and let the moment unfold — without needing to do anything.
It reminded me how often we fill the little spaces in life — those in-between bits — without even noticing.
The Lost Art of Pausing
There was a time when we just… waited.
For the bus. The kettle. A meeting to start. A friend to show up. A train to arrive. The toast to pop.
Now, most of us instinctively reach for our screens. Scroll, check, swipe. Rinse and repeat.
I’m old enough to remember sitting at a bus stop and just watching the world. Letting my thoughts drift. Listening. Breathing.
It felt… human.
Jon Young Calls Them “Transition Moments”
Nature mentor Jon Young speaks of how we’ve “killed” our transition moments — those small, quiet spaces in our day that once allowed for integration, calm, and creativity. They’re like neural compost heaps, where insights grow.
He talks about the value of wandering attention — the kind that doesn’t focus on any one thing, but gently drifts, rests, and resets the nervous system.
Not trying to be productive.
Just being.
Let’s Bring Back the Gaps
This isn’t about giving up your phone. It’s about making space. Noticing. Landing softly in those mini-moments that don’t demand anything from you — except maybe a breath.
Here are a few everyday soft landings to try — no mountain view required:
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Waiting for your coffee, tea, or toast to be ready
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Standing in a lift (elevator) with nothing to say
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Sitting on a train or bus with nowhere urgent to be
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Brushing your teeth without multitasking
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Taking three slow breaths before opening a new app
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Staring out the window — or at a houseplant, or a patch of sunlight on the floor
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That moment after you’ve parked but haven’t got out yet
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Just after waking, before checking notifications
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Or simply listening — to the hum of the world, and the sound of your own breath
One of my friends has a motto: “Sky before screens.” I love it — but I’d expand it:
“Stillness before stimulation.”
“Pause before ping.”
“Window before Wi-Fi.”
“Breath before scroll.”
So… What’s Yours?
What’s your favourite transition moment?
That tiny pocket of space where you don’t perform, produce, or scroll — you just are.
And breathe.
They’re not small.
They’re sacred.
Let’s bring them back.
