​The Practice of Pausing

Author: Lexi Campbell, Taproot Therapy Clinical Trainee

In our modern lives, we often find ourselves in motion. We fill our days with movement:
we email, we scroll, we worry, we text, we ruminate, we react— we do our best to keep up with
a fast-paced world. What would it be like to consciously pause in the face of this constant
activity? What would it look like to intentionally slow our mental workload from rushing around
our mind, and instead stop for a minute or two, and simply observe what we are feeling?

Pausing is a momentary suspension of activity: a temporary disengagement from the act
of doing something (Brach, 2003). Pausing can last several minutes or more, and after a pre-
determined amount of time, we return to our activities. As we practice pausing, we stop what
we’re doing and we try to be completely present with our inner experience at that moment in
time (Brach, 2003). We take deep breaths, notice the sensations in our bodies, and name our
feelings without judgment. Please know that there are times when pausing is not appropriate. If
our life or someone else’s life is in danger we don’t pause— we instead work towards safety. But
when danger to ourselves or others is not a threat, practicing pausing can be a powerful way to
find calm, as well as a key tool to reach for when we feel anxious, overstimulated, disconnected,
or even when we are struggling in a disagreement with a friend or loved one (Brach, 2003). If
you are interested in trying out a ‘pause,’ please follow the guided prompt below.

Choose a time that you are engaged in an activity (such as reading, emailing, cleaning,
texting, scrolling social media, eating, etc.) and explore pausing for a minute or more. Begin by
stopping the activity you are currently doing, sitting comfortably in a chair or on the ground, and
if it feels safe to do so, closing your eyes. Take four to five deep breaths. With each exhale, start
to notice: what does my body feel like right now? What sensations are coming up as I breathe in
and then exhale out? Some of us might notice the grounding feeling of having our feet firmly on
the floor. Others might notice a tension in their shoulders. Perhaps some of us notice our muscles
relax more with each deep breath. Then ask yourself, what feelings do I notice right now? For
some of us, pausing might feel difficult and we notice that we’re feeling restless. Perhaps we feel
a desire to return to our activity. Some of us may experience a deep sense of peace in pausing.
Do your best to name each feeling as it comes up, without any judgment as to whether it’s good
or bad. Continue to breathe deeply and observe the sensations in your body and your inner
feelings. Then, when you feel ready, open your eyes, end the pause, and return to your activity.
But as you return, ask yourself: do I notice any changes within myself after pausing?

The practice of pausing might feel at odds with the busyness of day-to-day life. However,
even small and brief acts of pausing can foster deeper connections with our feelings and our
experiences, as well as offer refuge in an increasingly busy world.


References
Brach, T. (2003). Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha. Bantam Books.