It was summer and I was hot. I’d just come home from work, dropped my bag by the door and stood frozen in my kitchen. The house was empty. It was just me, frozen.
When I finally did move, I did it on autopilot. I made a coffee and then burst into tears. And honestly, I couldn’t have told you why. I was exhausted and overwhelmed and that was all I knew.
From the outside I looked fine. On the inside my nervous system was on high alert, always bracing for the next thing. Worry about my kids, health struggles, money stress. It all kept me awake at night. And I carried the feeling that the people closest to me couldn’t even see it. I felt like I was drowning and I was doing it quietly.
Maybe you know this feeling? You keep going until your body starts to shout. For me it meant headaches, sleepless nights and snapping over the smallest little things.
As I reached for a tissue I spotted a cheap colouring book sitting on the table. Without any plan or intention I picked up a pen and started filling the empty spaces.
About ten minutes later I stopped and I noticed something had shifted. I wasn’t fixed or healed. I just felt a bit lighter like I could breathe easier. So the next day I did it again. And the day after that.
Nearly three decades as a physiotherapist and my training as a mindfulness facilitator have since taught me what that kitchen moment was. Most midlife women aren’t failing. They are carrying too much for too long and the tiredness has settled into the body.
You don’t need to get better at carrying the load. You need somewhere to put it down.
That’s what Pause Before More is for.
Here you’ll find honest words for how you’re feeling, permission to stop adding more and simple ways to start pausing, even on your busiest days.
No perfection. No pressure. Just a pause.
If that sounds like the place you’ve been looking for, subscribe and I’ll meet you there. It’s free.
Ten minutes is enough to begin.
