Navigating Your Career Cocoon: A Call to the Wild

The "cocooning" phase is a natural and vital part of any transformation. It's a period of withdrawal from the constant demands of the outside world, giving you the space to do crucial inner work and prepare for what's next. It's a powerful opportunity for self-discovery and renewal.

In a career transition, this phase can feel like a vacuum. Your old role is gone, but the new one hasn't arrived yet, and this uncertainty can trigger anxiety. Your natural instinct might be to fight this feeling by filling every moment with frantic searching, networking, or upskilling. But what if true growth required you to slow down and embrace this quiet, unsettling space instead?

The Power of Stillness

I just got back from a two-day "conundrum hike" with primitive camping. This experience reminded me that the most profound insights often come not from action, but from quiet reflection. This isn't a passive state; it's an active choice to give yourself the space for the vital inner work that leads to self-renewal.

When you step outside, you're embracing the unknown. The path ahead isn't perfectly clear, but that's precisely the point. The act of walking in nature helps you practice a different kind of strength: the ability to be present in ambiguity and find peace without a fixed plan. This is the quiet work of unlearning.

The woods don't rush you. The mountains don't ask for a five-year plan. They stand strong and tall without one, and by spending time in them, you can allow yourself to do the same. This quiet time gives you permission to truly listen to your emotions and treat them as valuable sources of insight rather than disturbances to be ignored.

Honoring the Sacred Work of the Cocoon

The cocooning phase, especially when spent in nature, offers a powerful way to cultivate this capability. The silence of a forest path or the vastness of an open sky can serve as a container for difficult feelings, much like a coach helps "detoxify" difficult emotions so they can be understood and accepted. This is an act of deep introspection—a form of contained, gentle reflection.

As I've been recommending to my clients this week, if you're in this cocoon phase, put on your shoes, step outside, and allow yourself to be guided by nature. The next chapter of your career journey will reveal itself in time, but first, you must honor the sacred work of the cocoon.

Dr. Lena