The Power of the Pause in Your Day: Combating an Overstimulated Nervous System
“Be still and know that I am God.”
-Psalm 46:10 NIV
“Crunch up…4…3…2…1
…and hold…4…3…2…1
…and down slowly…4…3…2…1.”
The instructor’s words repeated on my television screen. Laying on my back, I struggled to crunch slowly upward, hold, and slowly descend back down to the floor.
This workout was different than the ones that required me to hurry, get in more reps, or rush. This time I was asked to hold, wait, and slow down with each exercise. The instructor explained how mixing in this type of workout calls us to slow down and think about our posture, the muscles we’re working, and it helps to build endurance. She highlighted how “slowing down” not only benefits us in our workouts, but this benefits us in our day-to-day routines. When we slow down, our minds can reassess what we’re doing. The pause helps us to evaluate how we’re going about our day and gives us the opportunity to realign our thoughts and actions to what’s really important.
I admit, I often find myself in busy-mode when it’s not needed or healthy. Rushing from cleaning, to cooking, to running an errand, I find my nervous system in a heightened sense of urgency- which isn’t healthy or sustainable. Recent studies now highlight how a constant rushing can lead to “hurry sickness”. This leads to emotional exhaustion and reduces the efficiency of the tasks we’re trying to complete. Many times, people who are constantly busy are avoiding deeper emotional issues by keeping themselves distracted. These types of distractions can include, but are not limited to, constantly seeking “fun”, always working, or seeking ways to numb out uncomfortable feelings.
In some cases, being distracted or busy can be beneficial. Back in 2018, I remember being overwhelmed with grief after my dad passed. I was a young mom caring for my 5-week-old daughter and my 2-year-old son. To say it was “a lot” would be an understatement. My counselor suggested finding healthy distractions to give my mind and body a break from the grief instead of being consumed by it. Deep cleaning a closet, being actively involved in a mom’s group, and taking my kids to a park were all beneficial in an emotionally tumultuous time. While those were welcome distractions, in the end, I still had to address my grief. I couldn’t ignore it or distract myself away from it forever. There was a time to face it, but I also needed to live my life and look for joy in each day.
But if we’re constantly distracted and rushing from one task to the next to avoid deeper emotional issues, it becomes a problem. Our bodies are not designed to live that way. We’re meant to slow down, pause, and reflect even if our culture says something different. Silence and stillness should draw us back to God. It’s an opportunity to evaluate what’s in our hearts. Healing from wounds, reflecting on hurts, or simply evaluating how your living are all important in living healthily and fully. God wants us to stop and bring our daily concerns, triumphs, and everything in-between to Him.
He may show us something we need to work on, remind us of what we can be thankful for, or He may give us an idea to act on. When we’re continually busy, the noise of the world drowns out God’s voice. We are then more influenced by the culture and the world around us instead of the One who created us.
According to Father Scott Traynor, silence is not just about keeping our mouths closed. It’s also about not taking things in. This includes refraining from reading or listening to a book, turning off the television or a podcast/radio program, or even withdrawing from a conversation. Father Traynor shares how we need to fast from these things in order to have a deeper conversation with God.
Much of social media now highlights the importance of slowing down our heightened nervous system. Many who have succumbed to busyness as a way of life are now facing the emotional and physical consequences of not slowing down. God’s Word warned us about the dangers of this long before science had the opportunity to catch up.
The pause helps us to combat the lie that “everything depends on me”. We are not God. When we stop, and choose to turn away from the rushing and the busyness, we are reminded of our humanness.
In stillness before God, pride melts as we move away from ourselves and closer to Him. And in Him, we not only experience the fullness and joy in the life He’s given us, but we have the opportunity to grow and heal from lies we’ve believed about ourselves.
Ways to Find Stillness in Your Day
- Wake up early to spend time in prayer and read God’s Word
- Spend time in prayer or in reading the Bible before bed when your home is quiet
- Set a timer on your phone to remind yourself to pause, pray, and reflect on how you’re going about your day
- Evaluate where you are distracted during the day (scrolling on social media, looking at your phone, turning to television or a book). Cut out or reduce time in one of those activities and spend time in silence and prayer.
- Go on a walk or sit outside in nature. Spend time reading in God’s Word or prayer.
- Check out Trevin Wax’s book, “30 Days Through the Psalms”. This was a birthday gift I received this past month. What I love about this book is it provides morning, midday, and evening prayers and verses from the Psalms for reflection. I also love that it includes prayers of faithful Christian saints of the past.
Additional Resources:
- Kaleigh Cohen Workout: She is such an encourager and loves Jesus!
- “Constant Rushing is Overloading Your Brain” by Asmaa Alshamiri
- “Meeting God in the Silence: An Invitation of Love” by Renae Kranz
- Physical Signs Your Nervous System May Be Overstimulated
- “30 Days Through the Psalms” by Trevin Wax
Instagram Reminders on Slowing Down Your Nervous System:
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On a Personal Note…
If you read my last post, you know my husband and I were still working hard on our kitchen. Praise God we finished this summer! We went from a dark brown kitchen to adding some life with this creamy-peach color and a white trim. It was a patient, time-consuming project, but we’re so glad with how it turned out.
My husband and I also enjoyed a lake-date night for my 40th birthday in early July, and the kids and I took a hike on my 40th at a new location. It’s always fun to explore new places!
Photo by Morgane Le Breton on Unsplash