Last week I talked about “making space” in our lives. I certainly hope you enjoyed the idea and had some time to play with it.
This week, I’d like to touch upon a related idea which is the power we give ourselves when we remember to pause.
A few years ago I first experienced the absolute transformation that even a minute’s silence can bring to our physical, mental and emotional state of being. I was attending WPP Stream India which is a brand, creativity and tech conference usually held in Jaipur every year. It has a unique format. There are no set speakers and topics. Instead, attendees can host sessions on any topic they like for a set time period. Every day there is a big whiteboard which lists the day’s sessions. You may think it may become rather chaotic or may not get you value for your time but invariably there are a number of business and non-business sessions on any day across an eclectic mix of topics and you learn from the vast brainpower of the attendees who are thoughtfully curated - a good mix of WPP agency folks and important clients. The “unconference” conference is a surprisingly effective way of meeting new people and new ideas.
It was in one of these sessions at Stream that I met Vijay Bhat, ex-advertising professional and co-founder of Cancer Awakens, who has dedicated his life to helping people survive and thrive after cancer. He was hosting a session on the power of silence/slowing down/breathing - I can’t remember the exact name of the session. What I vividly remember is that it was very experiential. He didn’t use slides to bore us to death but took us through exercises that made us instantly feel the huge rewards of the pause.
There is a bigger idea than just slowing down and catching your breath. Taking a pause puts you in a position of control and power. When we are busy running from pillar to post, we are usually tired and not at our sharpest best. Our brain may be overworked, our body may be exhausted, our mind distracted and our heart not where they should be. In this state it is easy to take a wrong decision, say something hurtful and do something stupid that can do irreparable harm to your personal and professional reputation.
This is when you should remember the incredible effectiveness of the pause.
The pause can be as easy as a 1 minute breathing session at your desk to a 20 minute walk around the block or a quick hug. Anything that calms you down, helps you to gather your thoughts and puts you in your best mode. It is not only about shutting out the noise in the physical environment or from one of your screens but also shutting down the incessant chatter in your mind.
The pause will help you stop being constantly reactive. You will have time to reflect and think. It will give time and agency back to yourself.
The pause will make you more considerate of the other person’s point of view. It may prevent you from raising your voice or god forbid your hand.
The pause will re-energise you. Our nervous system needs surprisingly less time to regain its balance.
Please take 15 minutes if you can to watch Nancy Scanell talk eloquently about the power of the pause. She talks about an easy practice for making yourself centred and grounded in a few minutes. This presence practices which nurtures your somatic response will help you with more clarity, patience, forgiveness and much more. Nancy narrates a story in which a top basketball player scored a winning basket right after failing on the one before. She says a journalist asked him how he had the mental strength even after failing. He replied saying he chose gratitude over regret and hope over remorse. There is always a choice.
Over to you now:
How often are you showing up as your best self?
Are there parts of your day that you can use to insert pauses?
What practices are most effective in helping you cultivate presence?