Pausing for Wellness
There’s no denying it - I’m jazzed up about spring. I love the budding trees, the grass greening up again, the promise of flowers poking up from a long winter underground. It’s that time of year when everything starts to wake up and things start to feel brighter. I want to go for a walk outside. I can’t wait for the warmer days that I know are just around the corner.
In the busy-ness of daily life, it is tempting to overlook these moments and breeze through from day to day. Simple joys such as happy anticipation of warmer days or delight in spring blooming might receive only cursory attention. In a flash, we are moving on to the next big thing that we believe must. get. done. right. now.
But what would happen if we paused? If the next time our heart burst with a feeling of joy, we paused to hold that for a moment? What would happen if we paused to smell the roses and the tulips and the lilacs? Or paused to close our eyes and take a deep belly breath?
Pausing is actually a simple and approachable way to grow wellness. It brings us mindfully to the present - it opens space to live fully in the here & now - it provides opportunity to build wellness within. When we pause, we build connection with that moment as well as space to choose the next moment that will nurture wellness. If you pause and hold, for instance, the spark of joy in celebrating springtime arrival, that pause both nurtures and grows wellness just as much as choosing an apple over a doughnut. In fact, that spark can actually help you choose the apple! A pause is powerful!
Our lives are truly filled with everyday experiences that are opportunities to grow wellness. In pausing, we can take advantage of those opportunities as they arise to build the wellness we envision. Here are some ideas …
Grocery shopping? Pause to pick a seasonal fruit or vegetable that sparks your interest or celebrates the return of spring (hello berries!).
Going somewhere you normally drive? Pause a few minutes early to walk rather than drive. The environment AND your body & mind will love it.
Tackling the spring cleaning? Pause to admire your accomplishments as you work through the task. It feels so good to get things done!
Have a few free minutes to yourself? Pause to remember your intentions for wellness. And maybe make an appointment with yourself to practice that hobby you love.
Pausing for wellness is recognizing, holding, and owning the moment. This moment. And in taking a pause, we use our moments to both hold space for joy and build the wellness we desire.
Ready to give it a try? Let’s pause right now so we can get started on building our best life.
