Taking a pause when there’s much to do can feel like putting down a heavy book in the middle of an intense chapter – the story keeps pulling you in, yet the break helps you absorb what you’ve read so far.
Just like in a story, taking breaks helps you process everything you’ve been taking in. By taking small breaks, you give your mind time to rest and think.
For whatever it is that you are processing right now, taking a pause isn’t the opposite of finding clarity. A break might be the very thing you need to figure out what you should do next. Even if this starts in small ways, allow yourself to notice the pauses that already exist and allow yourself to identify more.
The quiet moment on the elevator before you reach your floor and go on to the next thing.
The few minutes when the phone battery has lost its charge and before it’s charged again.
The silence while waiting for the microwave to finish.
The moment between seeing a notification and opening it.
There was a brief silence after saying goodbye before hanging up the phone.
These moments are so brief it is easy for them to go unnoticed, yet, at the same time, they are places where you can begin to pay attention to the pauses that allow you to reset, regroup, or recharge, and return to whatever it is you need to do with clarity.
And remember if it’s not an automatic reset that doesn’t mean that nothing is happening. Sometimes, it’s like seeds quietly growing underground. Recognizing that resets can vary in length can free you up from the pressure of instant results. By recognizing that progress in understanding things can grow slowly, even with pauses, you can find clarity in time. Start small in whatever way you can and build from there. – Morgan Harper Nichols
