Lessons From Every Pause

Welcome back, and thank you for coming to read the final blog of Take A Break. Over the past few weeks, we have spent time exploring how the simple pauses in life can reshape how we see the world. We started this together by realizing the first accomplishment of every day is making your bed, then stepping outside and away from your phone.  Together, we looked at what foods were best for our minds to heal what we might not have known was damaged. Learned how to move for something other than looks.  Best of all, we made friendships that last a lifetime. Even writing things down can take all the stress of life right away. Each post has been a reminder that rest isn't an option, and growth isn't always flashy or noticeable right away. Your pace is your pace, and that is perfectly okay. 

As I have been thinking about what I am going to write in this post, I sat here and realized I didn't know how much I needed this too. Each week, being reminded to slow down and think of the good has been a refreshing change. All of the small pauses have taught me lessons not just about balance but about life. Every week was definitely not perfect; some posts came by easily, while some took late nights and honest moments put into words. Yet every blog post held a lesson I will carry far beyond the semester. 

The people behind the pause

Every word on this blog came from real moments and was learned from people. The past four years weren't easy, and staying was even harder. I walked into class the first day and didn't see one person that I could say hello to. When I was given the option to write a blog, I knew I didn't just need to write for me because, in some way, all of my friends were experiencing something new, but so was I. For the first time, I was officially alone, until I found you, this blog, and the readers. Each blog brought new conversations in class and new friendships. 

This blog came from the ones who checked in when I didn't have any words to type. The ones who reminded me to eat, to breathe, and to go outside. The people who showed me that life doesn't need to move quickly to be meaningful. 

So much of Take A Break comes from those quiet reminders, from friends, family, and mentors. That slowing down doesn't mean giving up in any way. It means choosing yourself for a change, and that is something we forget way too easily. 

The truth about slowing down

Here's the thing:  slowing down isn't always peaceful; sometimes it feels really uncomfortable. When you finally stop moving, you start to notice everything you've been pushing aside over and over again.  The exhaustion, the emotions, the pressure to keep up, all of this feels like the weight of the world. But in some ways that the beauty of it, slowing down gives the space to actually feel again. 

We often treat it as something to earn, something that comes after all of the hard work is done. But slowing down isn't a reward; it's part of the process, it's the moment that helps you see where you've been going and why. 

You don't need to have everything figured out to breathe. You just have to permit yourself to pause for long enough to listen to what your body has been telling you.  Your body, mind, and heart speak so loudly if you truly take the time to listen. Slowing down doesn't mean stopping; it means returning. Returning to yourself, to what matters, and to the life that is quietly waiting for you once all the noise fades. 

A final note

Before this chapter ends, I want to say thank you, truly. Thank you for reading, for showing up, and even taking a few minutes out of your busy week to slow down with me. Writing Take A Break has been one of the most honest things I've ever done. And it's because of people like you that it mattered. 

This blog has never been about the grade or doing everything right. It was about remembering to finally rest, reflect, and enjoy what I know I can do again. Every one of these is just as important as ambition, the deadlines, and goals. It was about realizing that life can feel lighter when we permit ourselves to just be. 

So if you take one thing from this space, let it be this: 

You don't have to move fast to be moving forward. People are always here for you; reach out. Peace doesn't mean standing still, and finally, it's okay to just be sad. 

 

Keep giving yourself grace to pause. Keep finding small moments that remind you to feel present. And most of all, keep living at your own pace. You deserve it. 

Thank you for reading!

Please know that this will always be available if you ever need the reminder. 

Thank you for spending 8 weeks with me. It's officially almost time to join the other group this blog is targeted at. Post grad- Thank you to all the people who never let me give up and the professors who saw me struggle and helped push me for the better. Remember to breathe, and know that it all works out, eventually. 

- Lauren