Many of us put off pausing during the day because we think it will stop us from being able to get everything done. Well, there's work to do, dinner to cook, a home to tidy, friends to meet. And that's before we've even made a call to our grandparents.
But it might surprise you to know that pausing actually boosts our productivity, not to mention our positivity.
Here are three ways to promote a pause during your day. Each of these ideas takes one minute or less to do. So, there's no excuse not to try them. If you're too busy to spend around a minute doing something different, then you're really too busy.
Speak a sentence of Scripture
We know that we can come to Christ with all our burdens. But some of us will save offloading them on Him for the end of the day, until we've left work or when the kids are in bed. But He's always there for us, and there's no need to postpone it.
When things get on top of us during the day, it can help to vocalise our beliefs. Even speaking just a line of Scripture aloud can help you find clarity and peace in the midst of a never-ending to-do list or overflowing papers to work on in tray. Whether you opt for Psalm 31:5: "Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God," or Galatians 5:26: "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit," or any other verse, once you've spoken it you can return to your tasks with renewed vigour and purpose, or with the realisation that they don't require as much of you as you first thought.
Go somewhere quiet, close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths
We often think that there isn't a moment to spare when we're up against a tight deadline, so we push ourselves to the limit physically, emotionally and spiritually. As we fill our every waking moment with achieving a certain goal, we can become less and less aware of what God's saying to us.
Taking just a few moments out to detach yourself from your surroundings, what everyone else wants you to do and what seems urgent will help you fix your heart on what's important.
This routine encourages the elimination of distractions and gives you an opportunity to call on God to empower you. The reason that we often feel up against it is that we perceive we're doing everything on our own. This way you'll remind yourself that you're not.
Make a priority list
A priority list is a sort of pumped up to-do list. Instead of just making a note of every single task you need to complete from now to next week, an often worry-inducing sight, you list things in order of urgency.
This might not sound like much of a pause, but taking a few moments to organise yourself can help you feel less agitated about how much you have to do. You may even discover a few things which don't need to be handled now or in the near future, and you can cross these tasks off and free yourself up.
