Episode 011: Pausing

Transcript from Stirred By Words Episode 011: Pausing

Chrissy Holm (00:05):

Do you love words? Are you passionate about diving into meaningful conversations? Hi, welcome to Stirred by Words, a podcast that focuses on words and questions that impact our daily lives. I'm your host, Chrissy Holm, health educator, writer, curious creature and now, podcaster.

Chrissy Holm (00:39):

Today, we'll start with a health tip. This week's tip is self-care. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical and mental health. And even small acts of self-care in your daily routine can have a big impact. We'll hear more from our listeners later in this episode about top tips for practicing self-care. But for now, let's just take a moment to think about how you're doing.

Chrissy Holm (01:11):

Close your eyes and just notice your breathing. Is it shallow? Are you holding your breath? Take a few deep breaths in and out through the nose. Now imagine all the obligations you have on your plate. Kids, pets, parents, friends, partners, work, hobbies, social media. Picture your day-to-day for the last few weeks. What emotions did you feel? Happiness? Sadness? Frustration? Disappointment? Excitement? Take a deep breath in and out of your nose. Now ask yourself, were you trying to accomplish too much in one day or not enough? What expectations did you set for yourself? Were they unreasonable? Do you feel exhausted or energized over the last few weeks? Were you too hard on yourself or not disciplined enough?

Chrissy Holm (02:33):

Take another deep breath in through your nose, but out through your mouth this time. Once again, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Notice your breathing. Now think, what does taking care of yourself look like? Do you need to ask for time off or a mental health day? Do you need to find time to rest? What energizes you and how can you incorporate that into your next week? Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Twice more. Deep breath in and deep breath out. Deep breath in and deep breath out. Remember, don't be too hard on yourself. You're doing a good job and you're practicing self-care right now, even if it doesn't feel like it. One more breath and then open your eyes. Just notice how you feel. And remember, you are important.

Chrissy Holm (03:59):

Now it's time for today's word, pausing. Dictionary.com defines this word as: Number one, a temporary stop or rest, especially in speech or action. Number two, any comparatively brief stop, delay, wait, et cetera. Number three, a break or rest in speaking or reading to emphasize meaning, grammatical relation, metrical division and so on. Fun fact, the word pausing was first recorded in 1400 and words related are hesitation, hiatus, interlude, lapse, lull and hesitate. Today's question is, what is your top tip for pausing and practicing self-care?

Chrissy Holm (04:47):

So I laugh because this is the one thing that I have the hardest time with. Taking care of myself. As I sit here, I'm podcasting, writing, book coaching, having a full-job parenting and so on and so forth that it really leaves very little room for connecting with myself. But with the encouragement from my husband, a mental health coach and a therapist, pausing and practicing self-care is super crucial to my healing and to everyone's healing. That's exactly why I'm wrapping up Season 1 of this podcast. I have some great ideas for Season 2, but I really want to rebuild my energy so that you all can have a kick ass experience for Season 2.

Chrissy Holm (05:32):

Now, what is my top tip? First be gracious with yourself. It is hard to practice self-care. Extremely difficult. And I've kicked myself for not doing it every day. But my top tip is just to keep trying, forgive yourself, keep trying, forgive yourself. It's a cycle. My favorite thing to do for self-care is walk and write, even if the walking is only 10 minutes. And even if the writing is only a sentence or two, be it an affirmation or journal entry. Those two things really bring me back to who I am as a person. They give me energy and help me self-reflect, which I feel is super important. So take a pause, breathe deeply, go for a walk or write and find what works for you. You'll forgive yourself when you mess up and you'll do it all over again.

Chrissy Holm (06:32):

Today we'll hear from seven listeners with their thoughts on this question. What is your top tip for pausing and practicing self-care? First we'll hear from Becca and she was on Episode 1: Community. This is what Becca says.

Becca (06:47):

The term self-care is a new one for me. I grew up in a family system and a culture and religious system that said that you must always deny yourself. And so I was taught that you work harder, you put others first and yourself last. And so for me self-care these days is more of a mindset and reteaching myself. So when I say, I don't need to sleep, or I just have to do this one more thing, even though I'm exhausted and I'm irritable, I've been better about stopping myself and saying, wait a minute, is this really going to benefit you or anyone in the long run, if you don't stop and go to sleep? Or do something nice for yourself? Because I found that in the end, I am more happy and more productive and a better mom, wife, friend to everyone around me when I actually do put myself first.

Chrissy Holm (07:41):

Next we'll hear from Holly. She was also part of Episode 1. This is what Holly's thoughts are.

Holly (07:48):

I would say my biggest tip for practicing self-care is to not view it as a selfish act. So if you take time for yourself and you can come back feeling refreshed or in a better mood, I feel like that's ultimately going to have a positive impact on others around you, whether that's co-workers, family, or friends. So you shouldn't feel guilty for taking that time for yourself and be intentional with it. Something that's really helped me is to block off time in my schedule, make it a priority, sign up for that workout class, book that massage. If you work from home, take that 20 minute nap on your lunch break. Anything that your body really needs at the time.

Chrissy Holm (08:30):

Next we'll hear from Martina. Martina was part of Episode 3: Health. Be sure to check it out. This is Martina's thoughts on the question, what is your top tip for pausing and practicing self-care?

Martina (08:45):

My top tip for pausing and practicing self-care is to look at something beautiful. Something that brings me joy, makes me smile. For me that's usually a picture of my great niece or my great nephew because they give me hope for the future. Sometimes it's just an illustration in a book. Sometimes it's reading a poem or just looking outside, looking for something green. That's what I do. Thanks.

Chrissy Holm (09:13):

Next, we'll hear from Carolyn. She answered the question, what are the top three gestures or qualities that make someone feel romantic, in Episode 5. Today she's answering, what is your top tip for pausing and practicing self-care?

Carolyn (09:28):

I feel like I'm really practicing self-care when I'm completely focused on one thing without distractions from social media or anything else. It could be a break from my computer like watching birds in my garden or taking a walk or talking to a friend or it could be using my computer to write a blog post or design a graphic. The key is giving myself that full concentration. It nourishes me.

Chrissy Holm (09:55):

Next we'll hear from Lisa F. She was part of Episode 6: Relationship. Here are Lisa's thoughts on this question.

Lisa F. (10:05):

For me, the most delightful way to pause and recharge is what I like to call, cuddle reading. You can cuddle read with your partner, your kids, your dog, even your best friend. I just love sinking into the world of a good book, while grounded in my body with someone I love.

Chrissy Holm (10:30):

Next we'll hear from Julie T. Julie was part of Episode 7: Tranquility. Be sure to check it out if you haven't. Julie answers the question, what is your top tip for pausing and practicing self-care?

Julie T. (10:47):

I typically ask myself two questions. The first is, how do I feel? And the second is, what do I need right now? And I do this in the morning when I first wake up. Some time during the day, maybe one more time in the evening and then at nighttime, before I go to bed.

Chrissy Holm (11:08):

And finally we'll end with Dr. Melanie. Dr. Melanie was part of Episode 8: Balance. And this is what her thoughts are to this question.

Dr. Melanie (11:17):

My top tip for pausing and practicing self-care is scheduling the pause. Scheduling it, scheduling what you're going to do. If you find it relaxing to take a bath, make sure you put it on your schedule or set a reminder, take a bath. I know it sounds really simple, but we can get so busy doing all the different things that we do throughout the day, with work and family and other responsibilities that we have. And even things that we enjoy doing. Helping your kids or volunteering. It's still important to take out time for yourself. So schedule it. Schedule a time to drink a cup of tea. Schedule a time to sit and just read a book for 10, 15, 30 minutes. Schedule time to take a hot bath with candles, whatever it is that you enjoy, that you can do and even if it's 10, 20, 30 minutes of a day, schedule it into your time, because you're worth it.

Chrissy Holm (12:28):

Today's book recommendation is Pause: Harnessing the Life Changing Power of Giving Yourself a Break by Rachel O'Meara. Feeling overwhelmed, burnt out or stuck? Discover the power of pause. Sometimes life throws you for a loop. You're stressed out at your job; you're torn between work and family; your motivation and productivity are taking a nose dive. Your impulse might be to lean in and tough it out, but what you may really need to do is take a step back. Reassess your life with a clear head and dive back in with purpose and poise. In this enlightening book, Rachel guides you through the steps of your own pause journey. Including, the signs that you're in need of a meaningful break. Planning your optimal pause, whether it's as short as the day or as long as an epic journey, and re-entering the world with a renewed clarity and purpose.

Chrissy Holm (13:23):

Incorporating the latest findings from psychology and neuroscience and peppered with inspiring stories of successful pauses, this book will show you that the fastest way to happiness, is to slow down. Whether you pause by taking a five-minute walk outside, spending a day unplugged from digital devices or taking a few weeks off to yourself. Pause will give you the tools to find what lights you up and the ability to lead the most satisfying and fulfilling life you choose.

Chrissy Holm (13:55):

Before we wrap up the episode and the end of Season 1, I encourage you to ask yourself a few questions. What is your top tip for pausing and practicing self-care? What will you do this summer to practice self-care? How will you make time for you?

Chrissy Holm (14:19):

If you have any thoughts on this episode, suggestions for the show or want to be a future guest, contact me via my website at www.chrissyholm.com. That's C-H-R-I-S-S-Y H-O-L-M.

Chrissy Holm (14:37):

Thanks for listening to another episode of Stirred by Words. This has been your host, Chrissy Holm until next time, keep learning new words, always ask questions and stay curious my friends.