My Best Me Therapy, PLLC

The Power of the Pause

Using mindfulness as a tool for slowing things down. Connecting the mind to the body and allowing yourself to just be.

by Sarah Gonzales, LPC, NCC on Jun 20, 2025

Many of us have had the experience of regretting something we said or did.  Reacting to someone poorly or behaving badly for little to no reason. Prioritizing the brain-body connection is paramount in learning how to take your power back.  Oftentimes, the best thing you can do is pause. Not push, not quit. Just Breathe. Rest. Listen. And wait for your clarity to return.

Beginning to practice, the pause.

The next time you have a free moment, take a minute or even just a few seconds to stop the chatter in your mind.  Take a minute to stare out a window or at a nice relaxing naturescape like the picture above and then pause.  Connect your mind to your body and just be. Notice what you feel, what thought pops up, if you become distracted.  Gently bring yourself back to the moment of just being.  If the mood strikes, take in a deep breath.  This type of pause serves to slow things down, connects our mind to our body and is a good way to listen to and learn what our brain and bodies need in the moment.  Take the time to tune into you.  What do you notice?  Be gentle and non-judgeing of what you might find and then bring yourself back to this moment. This exercise can be much harder than you think at first.  With proper practice it will get easier and the mental health benefits make this a worthy endeavor.        

Practice, the Pause. 

When in doubt, pause. When angry, pause.  When tired, pause. When stressed, pause. And when you pause, keep calm.   In these moments of pause you can find clarity, gain perspective, and regain some control over your actions.  Building this practice of taking the time needed to tune into your thoughts, feelings, brain and body can help you level up in life. Start when you are ready, go at your own pace and add to this foundation when and as you see fit.  If you stray from this practice just build it back in as soon as you notice.  The goal is to get started and build it into your daily habits over time. Start small, give yourself grace and just keep trying.   

Building a practice. 

The biggest benefits of this practice come when you have successfully woven them into your daily habits.  You do not have to become an expert but you do have to believe in the process and benefits that can come with this practice and work to build them into your daily habits.  You can set aside time at the begining or end of your day to get started but it is best if you can weave this practice into daily living.  You can start by adding it in the morning or pairing it with a break in your day.  Idealy you want to build a practice of slowing down, noticing and maybe taking in a deep breath or letting out a healthy sigh.  Pairing the pause with somatic exercises can boost the effect and will be on the list of to do's for building a healthy mindfulness practice.  This type of practice can help us develope better emotional regulation as well as improve the mind body connection.  Start with just integrating and utilizing the pause and let the journey take you where it will.  

MyBestMeTherapy.com

Sarah@mybestmetherapy.com

Texas based, online mental health care with a heart.