In a world where hustling and productivity is praised and valued over rest, it can be difficult to let ourselves pause for a moment to unwind. Sometimes, watching TV shows or reading the news may serve as a distraction over the actual need to give your mind the break it deserves. Here are some ways that you could incorporate the act of pausing into your daily routine. And it won’t take too long either!
Tuning into your senses – Notice your five senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Look around at your environment to see what information you could provide to your sensory organs. Describe out loud 5 objects you see as you would to someone who was blind. Listen to loud and subtle sounds around you. Touch objects that are cold or warm, smooth or rough and wet or dry and describe the sensations. Notice pleasant smells (perfumes, candles, soaps, food) and unpleasant smells (sweat, rotten fruit, garbage). Grab something to taste like maybe a piece of chocolate or sip some juice. You could chew gum or melt an ice cube in your mouth.
Deep breathing – This is probably one of the most spoken about ways of pausing. Simple, yet extremely effective. Box breathing is helpful in reducing anxious and stressful feelings and increasing concentration and awareness. Start by breathing in to the count of 4. Hold your breath for four counts and breathe out again to the count of 4. Hold your breath to 4 counts and repeat the exercise for 3-5 minutes. Notice the air you take in and release, as it enters and exits your body. You can try other breathing exercises, so long as you set apart time to consciously do so and pay attention to your breath.
Journaling it out – Jot down what’s been on your mind, whether it’s stuff that bother you or thoughts that have been taking up space. Sometimes our thoughts, the more uncomfortable or distressing ones, make it difficult for you to spend time alone with yourself. The act of writing down provides relief when it may all seem to be too much at once. Journaling can be a huge weight off your shoulders. It’s not to say that the issue or feeling goes away, but you’re a lot clearer in your approach to working on it.
Breaking down large goals – Sometimes our brains can feel clogged up with all the million things we’re trying to fit in there, including all the goals we want to achieve. When we see mountains or obstacles instead of clear paths to reaching the destination, it can feel extremely overwhelming to take in. Once you’ve done the first couple of points, sit down to break up the mountain into smaller, more achievable steps that you can take one at a time. Pausing also includes giving yourself the compassion to not overly pressurize. It means recognizing that you need to take a step back to evaluate the best course of action – challenging yourself but not burning out in the process.