Intentional Pause
Feeling stressed, anxious, sad, confused, or angry? If you answered “yes” to any of these, the next minute or two could give you a better perspective by taking an intentional pause as follows:
Close your eyes
Notice your breathing
Feel the weight of your feet on the floor
Feel the weight of your body on the couch
Notice areas of tension or stress in your body
Pay attention to your thoughts
Acknowledge any feelings
Now identify what you would like/need right now, such as peace or insight.
Identify something you want to let go of or get rid of, such as stress or worry. As you inhale, take in more of what you need/want.
As you exhale, let go of or get rid of what you don’t want.
Continue this focused breathing for 30 seconds.
This intentional pause provides a safe opportunity to slow down and allow you to re-center yourself and integrate your mind and emotions instead of being driven solely by reactions.
How can you implement intentional pauses throughout your day in order to gain insight, disengage from intense emotions, and allow for healthy responses instead of quick reactions?
The ability to implement intentional pauses that work for you throughout the day will assist you in gaining better control of your thought and emotions. Music, exercise, and prayer are tools that can assist you in taking an intentional pause.
Life is full of pauses such as interruptions, stop-lights, children, changes, vacations, emergencies, intrusive thoughts, stress, and panic. However, we have the ability to take an intentional pause so that we can reclaim our health, our purpose, our patience, our focus, and our gratitude for what is happening in life and throughout our day.
What would an intentional pause look like in your life, and how would you benefit from it?
— Tracy Paulino, L.M.H.C.
