The Hidden Power of The Pause

My body forced me to stop when I refused to. After years of living in constant fight-or-flight, my nervous system collapsed.

It took me more than three years of research and healing to uncover what I probably should have already known: the power of a pause.

We live in a culture that rewards speed.

More emails, more meetings, more action. Many of us carry this into climate and sustainability work too.

If we can just try harder, we tell ourselves, maybe it will be enough.

Yet this constant drive leads us to exhaustion, burnout, and disconnection from the very clarity we need.

Step One of Climate Calm™ is Stop and Centre. It is about creating space to pause, notice what is happening in our body, and re-regulate before choosing our next step.

From that place, we can discern what is a Yes, what is a No, and what is a Not Right Now.

Pausing is not procrastination. It is protection. It is energy stewardship.

It allows us to show up in the climate conversation with clarity instead of collapse.Neuroscience shows that pausing is not wasted time. When we stop and regulate the nervous system, we shift out of the sympathetic “fight-or-flight” state and into the parasympathetic “rest-and-digest” state.

This transition has immediate, measurable benefits: reduced blood pressure, lower cortisol levels, and improved clarity of thought.

• Research published in Frontiers in Psychology highlights how even short periods of mindful breathing reduce cortisol and improve decision-making under pressure.

Pausing is not procrastination. It is a biological reset that strengthens resilience, protects health, and restores the clarity we need to show up for what matters.