You can Pause for your Mental Health

Let’s get one thing clear - you're a human being, not a human doing.

It's true, the world moves fast. Work doesn’t stop. The whānau needs feeding. Your inbox has developed sentience and is walking away with your last nerve.

And yet somehow, in the middle of all this, you’re supposed to “prioritise wellbeing” and “lean into self-leadership” without accidentally finding yourself crying in the supermarket car park. (Full disclosure, I have shed tears in carparks before!!)

But here’s what I want you to hear today:
Permission granted. You can pause.

Not when everything is done.
Not when the planets finally align.
Not when you’ve earned it.
Now.

Because a pause isn’t giving up.
It’s tuning in.
It’s making space for breath, clarity, and a tiny slice of grace in amongst the Wobbles and the chaos.

In the neuroscience world, we call this a “pattern interrupt” - a deliberate moment to stop the spin. Even 60 seconds can reset your brain’s stress response, bringing your prefrontal cortex (the part of your brain that acts like an adult) back online, helping you to respond instead of react.

So if your day’s gone sideways, your brain’s overloaded, or your emotions are hanging out the “Do Not Disturb” sign…

Step away. Breathe.
Stand in the sun. Stretch. Stare at a wall. Put on your Brave Boots and sit down in them.
You’re allowed.

In reality, your pause might be the most productive thing you do today.

Julia Grace
Be Kind to Your Mind