How often do you allow yourself a moment’s pause? By that I mean a time that you really just stop, shut out the noise, put down your phone and breathe. We are all so busy that it can seem impossible to find time for ourselves to recharge our batteries. I am also guilty of not making this time. I know that I will benefit from it, I know that I NEED it, but the constant to do list often shouts louder.
I have been making an effort recently to find these moments. The excuse of “I just don’t have time” is not cutting it because I have realised that you only need a few minutes. You don’t have to do half an hour of yoga, go for a run, or sit and meditate… just stop.
Move to a different room or if you can, go and stand outside. I sometimes stand barefoot on the grass (even if it is wet and cold). Leave your phone in another room, Breathe, stretch, yawn… Notice your breathing, is it deep or shallow, are you breathing through your nose or mouth? Can you play around with it, can you breathe deeply into your tummy? Does it feel good to exhale loudly, really pushing that air and tension out of your lungs? Maybe shrug your shoulders or shake out your arms and legs. Now focus on your senses… What can you see? Hear? Feel? Smell? Taste?
If you stop for a few minutes and really listen, you might notice distant sounds. I stopped as I was writing this and within seconds could hear birds singing, a plane, the buzz of the fridge, a distant drill, children playing down the street and my tummy rumbling. All of this stopped the busy traffic in my head, the “shoulds” about doing admin, writing blogs, household things that need to be done, and worries that I have about loved ones or my work. I know that these things are still there but for a moment they were gone. It was just me, in my body, in the world…. recharging.
Even if it feels impossible to go into a different room, pick up a drink, notice how the cup feels in your hands… is it cold or warm? What does it taste of? Can you feel the liquid moving through your body when you take a sip? Now draw attention to your feet on the floor, wiggle your toes, or if you are sitting, notice where you body makes contact with a chair… and breathe….
You can create a pause in any way that works for you. You can move, you can be still, you can listen to music, you can enjoy a moment of silence, you can sit or you can lie on the floor. The only aim of the pause is to stop, notice your body and any areas of tension, what is going on around you, notice your senses, notice if you need to move or stretch or have a drink or close your eyes for a minute… just bring attention to what you need to recharge… and breathe…
These precious moments can temporarily stop the spiral of anxious thoughts, bring attention to the fact that you have been holding your shoulders up around your ears for a few hours and just ground you before you start again. Autumn is a reminder, as we watch trees shed their leaves to prepare for winter that we can think about what we might want to let go.
