Activating the Power of the Pause

Just. Stop. Now.

Why are we constantly in a hurry? Why do we feel like we always have to be "on"?

Hustle culture is a mindset that promotes working long hours and sacrificing self-care to succeed. It is characterized by overworking (grinding) and pressure to meet unrealistic standards.

Urgency culture is a workplace environment where there is a pervasive belief that nearly everything needs to be done immediately, often leading to a constant sense of rush, unrealistic deadlines, and pressure to respond quickly to requests, frequently at the expense of employee well-being and quality work.

Two cardiologists coined the term “hurry sickness” in 1974 to describe the damaging effects of relentless urgency on a person’s physical and cardiovascular health.

Hurry Sickness

Though hurry sickness is not a diagnosable condition, the anxiety and chronic stress that come from a frantic, always-on lifestyle can result in high blood pressure, headaches, and insomnia. Which are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease and even death. Hurry sickness can also leave you physically and mentally exhausted as you rush from task to task and ignore your needs for basic self-care.

In her Harvard Business Review article, researcher and burnout expert Kandi Wiens identified the signs and symptoms of hurry sickness:

• Everything feels urgent. Everything must be attended to at once and finished as quickly as possible.

  
  

• You’re always in a rush. You do things at a rapid pace, interrupting others to hurry them along, and you multitask.

  
  

• You’re preoccupied with the passage of time. You want to beat the clock and find shortcuts and ways to save time.

  
  

• You always feel behind schedule. You worry about falling behind even when deadlines are not imminent.

  
  

• You’re low on patience and easily irritated. Minor delays trigger stress and frustration.

  
  

• You deprioritize your own well-being in favor of efficiency and productivity. You sacrifice sleep, meals, exercise, time with loved ones, and hobbies.

  
  

• You’re uncomfortable with downtime and rarely take time to rest. Being unoccupied makes you anxious, impatient, or fidgety.

  
  

• You get pleasure from getting things done. You get a release of dopamine when you finish something.

If you see yourself in any of these statements, you may need to take a timeout and PAUSE.

This means taking a deliberate and calculated pause to gather information, reflect, and respond effectively.

Kendra Reddy is a leadership expert and executive coach. She explains pausing isn’t taking your foot off the gas. It’s putting fuel in your tank.

Benefits of the Power of the Pause

• Prevents overreaction. Before responding, ask yourself these three questions:

  
  

  • Does this need to be said?

  • Does this need to be said by me?

  • Does this need to be said by me now?

Your pause will give you a few moments to reset. You may discover your response can wait until you’ve thought through it or that you don’t need to respond at all.

• Helps to regulate emotions and avoid impulsive reactions. By taking a moment to assess your emotions, you can respond with empathy, understanding, and fairness. Taking short breaks during the day or engaging in activities like meditation helps calm the mind and promotes a sense of inner peace.

  
  

• Enables better decision-making. Pausing enables you to make more informed and thoughtful decisions rather than reacting impulsively or based on limited information. When you pause, you give yourself a chance to gain clarity and perspective.

  
  

• Encourages strategic thinking. Pausing provides you with the opportunity to consider the long-term implications of your decision. It allows you to anticipate potential challenges, evaluate risks, and identify opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked in the heat of the moment.

  
  

• Assists in conflict resolution and problem-solving. Pausing allows you to approach conflicts and problems with a calm and composed mindset. It gives you time to evaluate the situation, consider different solutions, and choose the most effective approach.

  
  

• Enhances creativity. When you allow your mind to rest and recharge, you create space for new ideas and fresh perspectives to emerge. Ridding your mind of the accumulated clutter and noise opens the possibility for revelation and innovation.

  
  

• Boosts productivity. Pausing also prevents burnout and helps maintain your energy levels, allowing you to perform better in your work, leadership and personal endeavors. Taking intentional time to step away from your desk will help you feel more refreshed and energized when you return to work.

  
  

• Provides opportunity for self-care. Taking a pause provides an opportunity for self-care and self-nurturing. Create intentional breaks filled with things designed to replenish your well-being, nourish your body, and recharge your spirit. Or, use breaks to prioritize rest, even if that means taking a quick catnap.

• Promotes active listening and understanding. By taking intentional breaks in your interactions with others, you become more present and attentive to others. This enables you to connect with them on a deeper level.

  
  

• Keeps you focused on what matters most. By protecting and blocking out uninterrupted solo time in your calendar, you’ll avoid overbooking yourself with unnecessary meetings. Instead, you can prioritize and focus your attention on the things which matter most.

How will YOU activate the power of the pause this week?

Sources

• Blaschka, A. (2022, March 19). 5 reasons why the ‘Power of the Pause’ is your secret career weapon. Forbes.

• Richardson, K. (2023, May 26). The power of the pause. LinkedIn.

• Weins, K. (2025, January 13). The Insidious Effects of Hurrying. Harvard Business Review.

---

4N Learning Consultants provides comprehensive Learning & Development services. As your trusted instructional design partner, we will work closely with your team to provide original content for your sessions. We facilitate interactive in-person and virtual learning experiences for groups of all sizes, focusing on leadership development, talent management, and power (soft) skills. Use our end-to-end strategy consultation services for guidance on everything from alignment with strategic priorities to training program design, launch, and implementation. Finally, use our training program evaluation services to receive a detailed analysis of its strengths and opportunities and a blueprint with specific recommendations to help close gaps in employee performance. Contact us to schedule a free consultation today.