The Secret Magic of the Pause

We are surrounded by messages to do and be more, to buy and consume the latest and greatest, to always be ‘on’ for the next thing. Let me tell you something, it’s exhausting. Beyond pure exhaustion it’s also anxiety inducing and unnecessarily stressful, especially for those trying to now juggle even more balls in the air and play more roles than ever imagined over the last number of months.

Are you feeling it too?

I’ve got a secret that I’m spilling here. It’s the one antidote I’ve found to the ‘busy’, stress inducing culture, and anxiety that can be life. Go completely against the grain and take a pause.

Simply stop and linger a moment.

This pause is magical. It’s just what your mind and body need yet may feel impossible to actually do. You get to take a breath. With the pause and the breath you simply notice the present moment, linger in it, and reset yourself.

The simple reminder I have for myself, and I offer up to you, is to Linger Awhile. Take a moment to pause, breathe, and savor. Create space.

This slowing and pausing is one of those simple yet not always easy actions. From personal experience I know there are piles of fear that come along with the idea of slowing or hitting the brakes at all. We have habituated ourselves to being busy that the idea of anything else is unfathomable, feels lazy, and couldn’t possibly be productive.

However, if I’ve learned anything in the last few years it’s that what feels the most like ‘nothing’ is actually just the opposite. The pause, the space, the lingering in the moment is what opens the door to presence, peace, and joy. With the door open creativity and clarity flood in and before you know it productivity swirls with ease. Can you feel the magic brewing yet?

When I find myself constantly pushing and creating struggle I am completely closed off, my energy is low, and I feel like I’m fighting an uphill battle. This is not the energy dynamic I want in my day, yet it can be addictive because I feel like if I just put more effort in, more action, I’ll make progress. The reality is it’s only more draining and I’m exhausted.

This is why the pause is so incredible. This tiny action brings so much with it. Create space and you’ll reap the rewards.

Ever notice how you find yourself having amazing ideas and insights at what seem like the most inopportune times - in the shower, when you’re running, or just about the drift off to sleep? These are perfect examples of where you’ve created space with a pause, perhaps unconsciously and unintentionally, and disrupted your usual go-go-go just enough for the door to crack open. Space trickles in and the ideas follow.

The disruption is critical. This is what allows the body and mind to reset. To simply be in the present moment. To create the space between. This is the space between thoughts and worries or the past or future, upcoming activities, potential reactions, and whatever else is not serving you.

I am here to stand square in the face of busyness, of consuming more and more, and challenge you into something else. This is my invitation: find your pause and linger awhile with me.

Trust me, all of the plates you’re juggling will not come crashing down and the world will not stop when you give yourself the gift of the pause and a moment to linger.

You are taking action by slowing and hitting (or simply tapping) the brakes so you can see the present moment more clearly. This is you taking control of what may feel like the chaos around you. As you pause and come into the present moment the world around you sharpens.

You allow yourself the space to shift from reaction to response. To move into conscious choice about how to continue forward. If you never stop to pick your head up and look around, reassess, and reset you may eventually find yourself way off course or realize you’re on someone else’s course. If you’re going to go back to juggling plates over your head at least you’re aware of them and are in choice.

With practice you will begin to pause naturally and find it part of your everyday being. You’ll also find that in anticipation of moments, interactions, or activities that would have previously been anxiety inducing or stressors sucking your energy that you take a pre-emptive pause. You are creating space, breathing into it, and setting yourself up for conscious choice and action.

So take a moment and provoke your mind and body into something different. Take the simple steps to pause, breathe, and savor. Find the magic and the power in this space and reset. In short, Linger Awhile.

Find Your Pause.

xoxo