The Neutral Zone – that in-between time when the old situation no longer exists, but the new reality has not yet taken hold – is the heart of the transitions process. It is where we start to reinvent ourselves in light of whatever change is taking place. To do that, we must both manage the chaos, and maximize the creativity, that comes from being in this in-between state.

Regain Control
In the Neutral Zone, we can feel like we’re treading water with no land in sight. Creating structures in your daily routine, work, and relationships can help reestablish a sense of order. Setting short-term goals or initiating weekly rituals are two ideas for creating rafts to get you closer to the shore. 

Rituals to Create Order
Goal Ladder

Develop Understanding
Information about the changes that you are facing may counteract the feeling of helplessness that sometimes accompanies the Neutral Zone. Reach out to others who have faced a similar situation or gather information from books to learn more about this in-between time.

Perhaps, most critical, seek information from yourself. Mine your past experiences for other times when you have felt in limbo and identify what helped you get through. This reflection can also help unpack past baggage that may be making it more difficult to adapt to the present change. 

Life Maps
Transition Sculpture
Assessing Strengths

Strengthen Support
The Neutral Zone can make us feel isolated and disengaged. While it is important to give yourself space to be alone, it is also critical to create a web of support to get you through this turbulent period. Identify those in your life who have been supportive in the past and reach out to new people who might help you with this new change. 

Circles of Support
It’s All in the Asking

Clarify Your Purpose
Transitions give us an opportunity to reexamine our priorities. Identifying what we want to accomplish can help focus us during the confusing time of the Neutral Zone. 

Four P’s Worksheet
Neutral Zone Journal

Explore
When everything feels like it is up for grabs, you are sometimes more inclined to “go for broke” and try something different – new relationships, new identities, new experiences. It is when we engage in this exploration that we unleash the transformative power of transitions. 

Challenging Perceptions
Learn Something New

Tune into  Transitions
Music can be a powerful way of teaching Transitions concepts, particularly to youth. Through creative lyrics, rhythms, and key changes, songs allow you to absorb ideas in a way that words alone cannot. Identifying your own Transitions songs is also a good way to assess your understanding of the framework.

Below are a few songs that speak specifically to the Neutral Zone:

“Keep Your Head” Mary J. Blige, Share Your World
“The Heart of Life” John Mayer, Continuum
“Stop this Train” John Mayer, Continuum
“Dead Man’s Rope” Sting, Sacred Love