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The power of a PAUSE

 “Don’t underestimate the power of a PAUSE; it allows you to reflect, recharge and refocus.”

We live in such a fast pace world. These days, when people ask how we’re doing, we regularly say “I am so busy!” and “I am so tired!” When we are not occupied, we think something is wrong, we feel lazy, and we immediately try to find things to do to fill up our time. We’re constantly looking to move forward; to go, go go and to do, do, do. Why is it so difficult to stop and take a break?

For me personally, when I am in ‘work mode’, my routine is pretty consistent; work, gym, eat, sleep, repeat. In the past, I was really hard on myself when I didn’t feel productive and accomplished, but over the last few years, I have really tried to look for and embrace ‘down time’. Now, I am more aware of my needs and my boundaries. I am capable of laying on the couch and watching TV without feeling guilty. I can also turn down weekend plans if I don’t feel like socialising and would prefer to have a restful night in. I really try setting aside some time for myself every week so that I can decompress. Typically, on Sundays, before the hustle and bustle of the work week, I’ll go for a walk, have a nice breakfast, relax by the pool…I am convinced that everyone should allow themelves some good quality ‘me time’.

Having 1 day a week to chill is wonderful, but lucky for me, my current job allows me to have several holidays throughtout the year, which gives me even more opportunities to, either keep myself busy and/or to relax.

This last week, I made my way to Nepal with a friend. We didn’t have any particular plan for our trip. We just let things fall into place. There is no doubt that when we travel to a new location, we usually want to make the most of it, see and do as much as we can. However, on this particular trip, we definitely tried our best to find a balance between seeing, doing and just being.

We allowed ourselves the time to slow down, be present, enjoy the scenery, as well as take some time to reflect, recharge and refocus.

What a way to end 2023, and prepare for 2024!

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