Reflection: So, what do ya’ think? Or do you?

In our go-go, what’s next, action-oriented world, down time for tapping in to our inner world of thoughts and feelings can be hard to find. In some cases, compared to the get ‘er done action mentality, time to rest and reflect is seen as wasteful not valuable.

The brain science case for the value of pause is growing. In idle mode (when daydreaming and letting your mind wander), the brain is active in different ways. Instead of reacting to new stuff on the incoming track, it hums along connecting our mind’s storehouse of experiences, ideas, and emotions – making sense and making meaning.

If you want to consolidate what you’re learning, imagine possibilities, stay in tune with your emotional state, assess whether a course of action is a sound moral or ethical choice, give your brain a chance to do its thing.

Step away from external commotion and outside input. Drop inside and let your brain idle for a while.

Action: Here are five ways to give your brain a mental breather and turn your focus inward.

• Meditation is an obvious first option, if you’re a practitioner of the art.
• Even if you’re not, simply sit back in a comfortable chair, and close your eyes to the world at large. Let your mind wander and meander wherever it wants to take you.
• Take a walk outdoors – preferably in a location without billboards, traffic, and other distractions of modern life.
• Turn off the television, the radio, the computer or whatever other input device might be firing information your way.
• Engage in a bit of mindless manual labor – shovel snow, weed a garden, clean a few windows, or wash the car.

Pick one approach or generate your own. See what happens for you when you give your brain a break.

Quote Of The Week: “Where there is a feast of words there is often a famine of wisdom.” – Catherine of Siena

Resource Of The Week: For more research and info about down time for the brain, check out this article: Four Reasons Your Brain Needs Quiet Time.

Readers Write: In response to last week’s message, Let Go & Let Flow, Pause reader KE writes: “LOVE the examples of serendipity, Pat.  And I got a sense from reading that it all happened with such ease.  Life can be really simple if we just get out of the way.”