Taking a Pause
Image via Silvia Gil-Roldán in Ignant
I used to take my brain for granted, understanding ongoing thoughts as my true self, until a mental health crisis and burnout helped me understand the difference between me and my mind.
Taking a pause in thinking and doing allows us to witness our thoughts and behaviours, instead of running on autopilot. If we’re not aware, we can wake up overwhelmed with to-dos, letting them occupy our minds until we fall asleep at night.
The first step in changing your life is taking a pause. It allows you to stop, bring awareness to your actions, and choose to do things differently in order to get your desired results.
Taking a pause, ideally through meditation, if not by going technology-free and walking solo in nature, or taking a long bath, allows us to get off the metaphorical treadmill. When we stop our current flow of thoughts, we allow ourselves to think and do differently, bringing us different effects.
So many people, myself included, always want to rush to action. Being able to sit in the uncomfortable in-between, waiting for clarity is a superpower. When we slow down our breathing in a relaxed way, we slow our body and mind down in the process, allowing us to make rational and intentional choices rather than always moving on auto-pilot.
Bigger picture, when we create as much time and space in our lives as possible, it allows for new opportunities and ways of being to come. If you keep waking up and doing the same things over and over again, you’ll get the same results.
Two or three times a year, I intentionally stop doing as much as possible. This means saying no to extra work, social plans that don’t light me up, and all things I feel like I “should” be doing. It allows me to take a look at where in my life I can shift my actions to generate different results.
If you’re ready for support in doing things differently, book a life coaching session with me here. I’ll teach you meditation and mindfulness techniques to help uncover your true desires and go after your dreams.