Why pausing is so important

The life of a modern city dweller is an endless (and often pointless) race that sucks all the strength out of us. We do not give ourselves time to stop or even pause, because we are used to equating time with money. Pausing means voluntarily giving up money and opportunities we could otherwise take advantage of. Does that mean that in order to earn more and do more we must abandon all hope of catching a break? It certainly does not! Today we are going to talk about why pausing is so important.

Living nonstop is impossible

Even a perfectly adjusted mechanism cannot function endlessly. Sooner or later it will exhaust its performance potential and come to a standstill. The human “mechanism” has the ability to replenish its reserves, but it needs rest to do this. By pausing and giving ourselves some rest, we give our body and mind a chance to recharge so that we can keep moving and working.

The benefits of pausing

Apart from giving us a chance to rest physically, such pauses also come with other benefits. Below are some of the most valuable.

Pausing helps you reevaluate priorities and adjust goals

When you’re busy pursuing your goals, it may seem unproductive to stop and think about priorities. But frantic daily life and routine can often push you off the track. That may be the reason why, having reached a goal, we often feel disappointment rather than the joy of accomplishment. Pressing pause at the right time gives us a chance to reevaluate our goals based on their current relevance and adjust our focus accordingly. As we are busy making our way towards a certain goal, our priorities may shift and our personal values change. Pausing is a chance to recollect yourself – to review where you’re headed and what you’re doing, looking at yourself from the outside and from within.

Pausing helps you discover new horizons

The daily rush often makes us lose touch with reality. We stop noticing the things we used to pay attention to because our tunnel vision prevents us from looking around. Pausing gives us an invaluable chance to “reboot” our picture of reality by changing our viewing angle for a while. Sometimes we can see nothing up close, so we need to take a few steps back or pause to see the obvious that eludes us as we hurry by. Pausing is a great chance to see new horizons up ahead, as well as to identify new objectives and goals for the future.

Pausing helps you dump ballast

People tend to fill their lives with useless things and unnecessary connections. These build up like a snowball, weighing us down and depriving us of mobility. The snowball can keep growing for years, burdening us more and more. Only a proper “spring cleaning” can help in situations like these. The tricky thing is, you need to make time for it. And time is one thing we are constantly short on.

Short-term pauses let us dump ballast at the right time so that we don’t let it pile up for years on end. It makes sense to throw out trash as you go so that you won’t have to look for ways to get rid of it all at once when things get serious. For this purpose, short breaks can help a great deal more than a lengthy time-out.

Pausing allows you to restore your strength

No matter how energetic we are, sooner or later the source of our energy runs dry. Being constantly busy and buried under problems, with new ones piling on top, sucks out our life forces and weighs us down. To keep living a full life, it’s crucial to replenish your internal energy reserves. Short pauses are the easiest way to do this. The longer you put off the rest you need, the more time you will need to restore. Take a break without waiting to be exhausted; that way you will be able to restore your strength much faster than if you wait till you are completely drained.

Pausing helps you regain your joie de vivre

Only children and philosophers know the true taste of life. The rest of us are destined to observe from a distance. When you see an advertisement for ice cream on TV, you can’t actually taste it, can you? Our daily activity is like the TV screen. It shields us from real life, which is filled with colors, flavors, tastes, and emotions. It only takes a little pause to realize how great life is. It’s right here, so close – all you need is to open your eyes and realize this is what’s real, without any interference or information noise. Allow yourself to stop and smell the roses – look at the spring sky, breathe in the April air, listen to beautiful bird songs, and enjoy the caressing warmth of sunlight on your face after the long winter.

Pausing helps reignite your desires

Moments of inspiration and emotional uplift are common after you pause. When you manage to take a fresh look at the world and see it from a different angle, your soul experiences an emotional reboot. In those moments, you see again your purpose, while the cocoon of idle worries and problems disintegrates. Your soul, reborn like a butterfly, flutters out and into the bright world full of unique and unforgettable moments. A pause is a source of inspiration that helps us reach for new desires and see ordinary things from a different perspective. In this way, short pauses allow us to avoid emotional and psychological burnout.

Pausing keeps us going

Often, as we accumulate life experience, we feel like we’ve reached the end of the ladder and there is nowhere to grow. We get the feeling of emptiness and frustration that can grow into depression. This end-of-the-ladder feeling stems from emotional and physical fatigue.
As we already mentioned, pausing helps expand the boundaries of our consciousness. When we free ourselves from stereotypes and shake off the burden of emotional stress, we see that our path has not reached its end. Pauses allow us to unfocus our eyes and see a different picture. If you have ever looked at three-dimensional holographic images, you will understand just what we mean.

Pausing: Luxury or necessity?

Pausing is a necessity. It’s not a luxury, much less a whim or a sign of laziness. Think of it as a vitamin supplement your body needs to remain healthy and strong. Mind the importance of timely pausing, as otherwise you might end up not being able to restore your strength on your own terms.Meditation happens to be a great way to pause.

If you ignore your body’s wake-up calls, you could end up in a hospital bed or worse. It’s cheaper and more pleasant to give yourself short and regular breaks instead, replenishing your strength supply without waiting to get sick.

In the daily rush of urban life, remember to pause for just a little. Give yourself moments to feel alive and acknowledge your feelings and emotions. Meditation is a great way to do this. But however you do it, give yourself chances to simply contemplate this beautiful world and look serenely into its wide-open eyes.