The first 2.5 months of 2019 have been a whirlwind for me.

All good. No complaints. Just super busy.

But busy has its moments of stress. A little bit of stress is OK.

Stress can motivate us. Stress can push us out of our comfort zone to new, amazing experiences and triumphs.

But we need to know how to best manage stress so it doesn’t become unhealthy and counterproductive. To do this, we need to get clear about what can be put on hold temporarily. This is exactly what I did.

I knew my schedule would ease up in mid-March when I could resume paused activities. I delayed meetings until now. I missed two weeks of blogging for the first time in six months. I cut back on volunteer activities.

What never gets paused are those activities that nourish me. Time with friends and family are givens. Daily meditation keeps me focused and centered. Journaling is my mind dump. Creative pursuits keep me balanced.

Pressing the pause button allowed me to fully use my energy for my clients, my audiences and my workshop participants. Those are the people I serve and they deserve my best.

What will you pause when you need to reduce your stress?