Oftentimes the simple act of taking a moment to reflect before reacting can mean the difference between living a life of contentment or that of regret.
So much of our lives are lived on autopilot, we go through the motions of our days, our weeks and even our years without stepping back to reflect on what is happening before we react. This causes us to spend unnecessary time ruminating on things we wish we hadn’t said, wanting to go back and say what we truly meant, or wishing we had said nothing at all.
When we take the time to pause, and then proceed with intention, we have the chance to make real changes that can build relationships instead of burning bridges.
The difficulty is catching ourselves before responding in habitual ways that lead us down destructive paths.
It very easy to get swept away in the hustle of our busy lives but making the time to train ourselves in self awareness will help us to take a moment of reflection before we respond.
The next time you feel yourself becoming antagonised or getting pulled into a defensive state see if you can pause and
Become aware of triggers: notice when the heartbeat accelerates, or the body becomes hot.
Use the breath: Connect the thought of pausing with taking a deep breath.
Listen: seek to understand what is actually being said and how it might differ from what is assumed is being said.
Respond with intent: be clear on what you want from this particular person or situation.
The acronym T.H.I.N.K can be helpful when discerning if our response will be True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary or Kind.
Making the time to check in with our body regularly can strengthen our awareness so that we're able to catch ourselves before jumping into a heated moment.
Join us on a Mindful Pause where we’ve created a space to spend time slowing down, tapping into the body and escaping the busy nature of the overactive mind.
Making time to engage in regular ‘pauses’ will make it all the more likely you will be able to pause when it really counts.
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