The (Im)possibility of Pause
Why is it so hard to Pause, to slow down, to rest?
Maybe some of these sound familiar…
I’ll look lazy or that I’m not contributing
I’m not doing enough
I should be doing more
I need to keep striving to the next thing
If so, know that you’re not alone. These are the responses I heard multiple times in interviews with women over the summer about Pause, work, and life in general. The themes that emerged from these conversations were both eye opening and yet so familiar.
These are deeply engrained stories, conditioning, and messages we’ve been fed for years - both implicitly and explicitly. The belief that rest is for later and the more we do the more worthy we somehow become.
This is the grind culture we’re part of.
It’s why we feel guilty taking a day off, using our PTO, or simply taking a break for lunch.
I have experienced all of this and still fall prey to the mental chatter of needing to do more rather than allowing and softening into spaciousness and Pause.
Heck, when I left the seemingly cushy job at Google it was quite literally a move of ejecting myself from the perpetual grind that had begun to feel meaningless. I had to silence the voices who said I was crazy and those who furthered the story of not being or doing enough.
Our bodies can only run on empty for so long.
We are each designed for Pause. We require rest and rejuvenation.
Like you charge your phone or fill up you car, you must recharge yourself. Trust and know your worth is not related to your productivity.
It seems like as soon as the calendars flip to November 1 we enter a season of busy, of expectations, and of exhaustion. Make sure to take at least a few minutes a day to yourself, for yourself, and on your own terms.
So my nudge to you is to invite in spaciousness - especially in this end of year season.
Take a few minutes to savor your morning coffee, stare out the window, say no to something added to your plate.
Be present in what you’re doing and how you’re spending your time. Notice how you’re feeling.
Find Your Pause.