Small Moments of Pause

When people hear the word mindfulness or meditation, they often imagine long periods of sitting still, trying to quiet the mind, and “doing it properly.” Many of my clients share their worries that they can’t meditate — that their minds wander too much, or they don’t have the right focus or discipline.

But mindfulness doesn’t have to look like that. For me, it often shows up in much smaller, everyday ways — what I think of as moments of pause.

A pause can be as simple as noticing the warmth of a cup of tea in your hands, or taking a breath that’s a little deeper than usual. It might be standing by a window and letting your eyes rest on the sky, or feeling your feet on the ground before you start the next part of your day. These small moments don’t erase stress or busyness, but they gently change how we carry them.

I see these pauses as a form of meditation — not something separate from daily life, but something we can slip into at almost any time. They remind us that mindfulness isn’t about doing it perfectly, it’s about noticing what is here, even for a moment.

Perhaps today you can find your own small pause. It doesn’t need to be grand or long — just a few seconds to notice, to breathe, and to reconnect. That, in itself, is enough.

Warmest regards, Catherine

© Room Fourteen Reflections, UK — psychotherapy, creativity, and wellbeing.