A method of controlling the operation of a wind turbine between a first operating mode and at least a second operating mode, the wind turbine comprising a wind turbine tower, a nacelle arranged on top of the wind turbine tower, and a rotor with at least two wind turbine blades rotatably arranged relative to the nacelle, wherein the method comprises the steps of: - measuring at least one load signal of at least one component of the wind turbine, the at least one component being influenced by a wind load, - calculating a damage rate based on said at least one load signal, the damage rate being a current damage rate, - determining a normalised damage rate by applying a first function to said damage rate, and evaluating said normalised damage rate in real-time, - changing the operation of the wind turbine between - the first operating mode where a zero amount of control action is applied and - the at least a second operating mode where a maximum amount of control action is applied; wherein the change of operation depends on the normalised damage rate and is performed by applying at least one control action to the wind turbine, - wherein the wind turbine is operated in a first transition phase between the first operating mode and the at least second operating mode, when an increase in the normalised damage rate is detected, in which the amount of control action applied is gradually increased as function of the increasing normalised damage rate, wherein the method further comprises the steps of: - detecting a decrease in the normalised damage rate, - applying a second function to the normalised damage rate, wherein the second function controls the decrease of the normalised damage rate, - further operating the wind turbine in a second transition phase between said first operating mode and said at least second operating mode, wherein the amount of control action applied is gradually decreased as function of the decreasing normalised damage rate obtained by applying the second function to the normalised damage rate. - measuring at least one load signal of at least one component of the wind turbine, the at least one component being influenced by a wind load, - calculating a damage rate based on said at least one load signal, the damage rate being a current damage rate, - determining a normalised damage rate by applying a first function to said damage rate, and evaluating said normalised damage rate in real-time, - changing the operation of the wind turbine between - the first operating mode where a zero amount of control action is applied and - the at least a second operating mode where a maximum amount of control action is applied; wherein the change of operation depends on the normalised damage rate and is performed by applying at least one control action to the wind turbine, - the first operating mode where a zero amount of control action is applied and - the at least a second operating mode where a maximum amount of control action is applied; wherein the change of operation depends on the normalised damage rate and is performed by applying at least one control action to the wind turbine, - wherein the wind turbine is operated in a first transition phase between the first operating mode and the at least second operating mode, when an increase in the normalised damage rate is detected, in which the amount of control action applied is gradually increased as function of the increasing normalised damage rate, wherein the method further comprises the steps of: - detecting a decrease in the normalised damage rate, - applying a second function to the normalised damage rate, wherein the second function controls the decrease of the normalised damage rate, - further operating the wind turbine in a second transition phase between said first operating mode and said at least second operating mode, wherein the amount of control action applied is gradually decreased as function of the decreasing normalised damage rate obtained by applying the second function to the normalised damage rate.