TAKE A ‘PAUSE’
Having just read Rachael O’Meara’s book on “Pause – harnessing the life-changing power of giving yourself a break”, I was excited to see how my own intuitive way of dealing with change was mirrored in it.
So, I wanted to share a few insights from the book and my own experience around the importance of pausing, given we are all in a unique point in history - experiencing a major disruption to usual life, in addition to our own internal shifts and battles. Firstly, taking a pause does not mean standing still. It is a chance for us to take some time out to give ourselves the space and imagination to move forward and thrive.
Pausing as O’Meara tells us, is “one way to allow yourself the space to evaluate your choices and align with what matters to you.” Rather than feeling trapped and limited by the pandemic or perimenopause, if we listen to our inner voice and are guided by our values, we create a chance to re-calibrate, for new behaviour to emerge and exciting opportunities to follow.
Of course, facing up to the realisation that not everything in our life is as we wish can create fear, anxiety and sadness. But with a structured approach and creating a ‘pause plan’, change becomes easier to deal with and a more positive reality.
THE ‘PAUSE’ HACK
Psychologists, Alfred Adler, Bob & Judith Wright all encouraged their patients to explore changing a situation through the lenses of all aspects of their life. So, for today’s hack, I invite you to make something of the pause you’ve already been gifted.
Take some time out today to consider & then write down the following:
Situation: think of a situation you want to change / make better
Limiting beliefs: what’s stopped you from making this change so far / your fears
Yearnings: how would life be like / you would feel if you made this change
Actions: what do you need to put in place, to make this change happen
Once you’ve contemplated the above, move onto how this change would affect 7 different aspects of your life - body, self, family, work, relationships, community and spiritual. Once you’ve done this, comes the hard bit which is making it happen! Set out 5 key things you are going to prioritise to activate change. Set yourself an intent each day that feeds into you changing your situation. Journal your progress to see how far you’ve come. Finally, think of your pause as an experiment, so you don’t feel overly pressurised or frightened of change. Know that every small tweak is a win and that small wins add up to huge results.
Today’s tip has been inspired by @Racheal O’Meary and if you haven’t read the book Pause, I thoroughly recommend it. If you’d like to learn more about how to embrace chance, sign up to our 4-week online HALO programme, w/c April 20th