The Power of Taking 15 Minutes

 How are you holding up? No really. How are you? The past few months have been a whirlwind of emotions for us all—between COVID-19, the racial injustice that has sparked global outrage, and let's not forget your own personal ups and downs with family, work, health, and money. I don't know about you, but I'm tired! Tired mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. I'm sure you are too! 

As a business owner whose main work is done with people—speaking, coaching, training—I needed to have a serious moment of reflection with myself. I couldn't keep driving forward with this lack of energy, and to be frank, with only using a fragment of my true potential.

Don't get me wrong, I have a morning routine that I do every day, but lately, my routine has started to become social media, news, and a whole lot of noise right when I wake up in the morning! And I was feeling it. My stomach started to hurt and I felt anxious; I was oversleeping by an hour or two, and my breath was starting to become short. It took me starting my Nespresso with no mug under the spigot to realize I needed to get back to my traditional routine with space for myself and a solid 15 minutes of no noise or consumption.

According to Michelle Burke, member of Forbes Coaching Council and a participant in UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) intensive IPP program, "Over 75 percent of Americans experience some sort of physical symptoms related to stress in any given month, and 73 percent experience psychological or mental symptoms."

Additional research shows that pausing can allow for more creativity, groundedness, and calmness in communication. When we feel overwhelmed and stressed, our health, logic, and overall efficiency start to take a downturn. 

Here are a few things we encourage with your 15-minute pause:

1. Take the darn pause! Stop saying you're too busy. Everyone is busy, and it's no excuse not to take care of yourself first. Every time you overlook yourself, you are consciously saying work, money, emails, etc. are more important than your overall well-being. 
2. Create a system to squeeze in your 15 minutes. For example, set aside a non-negotiable, 15-minute meeting with yourself that cannot be moved! 
3. Don't use the 15 minutes for more consumption. It's not time to play with social media and watch the news. Use the time to get grounded, feel the energy around you, and reconnect with your breath. 
4. Reconnect to your breath. Practice breathing in for four and releasing for four using diaphragmatic breathing. 

We are all doing our best to be our best as leaders, parents, professionals, and influencers. You should know that your pause creates space for others to pause. We all need a little more of it, so we can be productive, proficient, and purpose-driven.  

Written By Nada Lena Nasserdeen TEDx Speaker, Corporate Trainer, Leadership and Confidence Coach, Founder of Rise Up For You