Managing Stress During Transitions

How Heart-Focused Breathing™ helped me during a rocky transition- or two!

When we agreed to take care of our friends’ boarding stables while they traveled, I was hoping for a smooth switch. We'd transition into house-sitting, help with the animals, and support them in their long to-do list before departure. They would get the help they needed and take off for almost a month of vacation. Simple, right?

But some transitions aren't smooth—especially when horses, fences, and spontaneous fallen trees are involved.

In the days leading up to their departure, emotions were running high and everyone was doing what they could to help. We were all juggling responsibilities, working together to check items off a long list, and navigating the unique dynamics that come when families combine forces under one roof.

And then—just when it was almost time for our friends to hit the road—a tree fell. Well, more like four trees grown into one. Right onto the fence line out in the field where the horses roam. Cue another delay. The guys worked into the night repairing the fence, and the next morning we all chipped in—literally—to cut the fallen tree, clear debris, sort logs, and prep wood for storage and do some chipping.

Oh, and on top of everything else, one of their cats had babies! 3 tiny cute kittens...my heart!

The disruption, the urgency, the overlapping stress... it could have derailed me completely.

Transitions are not my strong suit. My tolerance for change goes down drastically when under stress. I've learned this about myself. My nervous system tends to tighten around uncertainty and sudden changes. But this time, I had tools—and I actually used them.

Emotional Regulation in Action

One of the practices I relied on most was Heart-Focused Breathing™, a technique I teach in my resilience courses. It’s simple, but powerful: deep breathing coupled with focus on the heart. I used this practice constantly—before we started a new project, during tense moments, and in the quiet pauses between tasks. It helped me regulate my energy, think more clearly, and not spiral into overwhelm.

And I've been practicing it so much that it has become second nature. I didn't need to remember to do it or take time out to do it, it just naturally came up, over and over again, and I paused to take some deep breaths. And you would be surprised at how powerful this can be on the mind and body!

Our animal lover. The kids all take on a responsibility here while we house-sit for friends: feed the chickens, take care of the horses or walk the dogs etc.

Another essential practice was letting go. Releasing the idea that things "should" go a certain way. Letting go of needing it all to be perfectly organized. Letting go of needing to know exactly what was going on and just trusting that if we stayed in coherence and supported one another, it would work out.

And it did. Eventually, our friends were able to leave, the fence was mended, the horses were safe, and the wood was sorted for future use.

Why Emotional Resilience Matters in Real Life

It’s easy to talk about emotional regulation in theory. It’s much harder to choose it in the middle of a chaotic morning or a surprise tree-fence crisis. But that’s when it matters most.

For families like ours—traveling, house-sitting, working remotely, and often navigating unconventional schedules—resilience is the foundation. Not just for surviving, but for growing through the changes.

This experience reminded me how much I need the tools I teach. And how grateful I am that I can share them with others walking similar paths.

Grilling while it's raining on our birthday- remember my post about it? And look who's right next to the grill... just waiting....

So now we've been house-sitting for just over a week. We celebrated our birthdays, (yes, my husband and I have the same birthday!) have settled into our rhythms and are finding time for ourselves... and then our friends call that unforeseen circumstances are forcing them to come back. Now!

We have barely 24 hours to transition back to our caravan, clean and tidy a whole house, move food over (and I just went shopping!) and let go of all our plans for the next few weeks. Or rather, make all new plans. But we don't even know what they will look like! What a great exercise in change tolerance for me!

So even right now... I'm breathing deep, focusing on the good and letting go. Guess that's it for our house-sitting break. For now at least. It's hitting kinda hard, this change. Suddenly having to let go of our family time here "alone".

For my birthday, my new favorite cake- Mousse au Chocolat cake! With fresh eggs from the chickens- I'll be making this one again!

I'm so grateful I've always been a positive outlook kind of person. And I truly do believe everything happens for a reason. Here's to trusting and going with the flow...

Now back to packing and cleaning!