Pause: How to press pause before life does it for you

by Danielle Marchant

"Danielle Marchant is a beguiling leader - a refreshing mix of pragmatic and soulful. She facilitates with a light hand and an engaged heart" Queen of RetreatsPause is an important message ready to be heard.We check our phones an average of 221 times a day, we have apps that help us sleep and remind us to be mindful while we secretly measure our success in 'likes'. Time is our luxury and yet with technology we are never able to leave the office, even when we aren't there. The fear of missing out makes us rush from one thing to the next, not really taking any of it in. Pause allows you to finally put yourself, your feelings and your intuition first. Learning to say no, doing the things that make you feel good, and not doing the things that don't make you feel good - these are not self indulgent, listening to your own heart and wisdom doesn't make you selfish, slowing down to appreciate your life isn't lazy or unambitious. It is an ancient message, but still just as strong; when you pause to take care of yourself and your own life, you become the person you're meant to be. This book gives you the space and the practices so that you can learn how to benefit from the power of the pause. It uses nature, creativity and your inner spirit to allow the energy to flow freely once again. There are exercises to ground you, give access to your intuition, to breathe deeply and allow your monkey mind to settle. It gives you time to explore what is big in your life right now, to know deep down what matters. It opens you up, allowing you to freely experience all the pain, the joy and the twists and turns of life. It gives you back your courage, your fire and your connection.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

222 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 29, 2018

Reviews

[Damaskcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you feel that you are running fast just to stand still then make time in your busy schedule to read this book. So many people use the description 'busy' as a badge of honour rather than treating it as a wake up call to examine their lives and cut down on the 'busy' work.

This book doesn't contain all that much which is new in the self help arena but it is focussed on encouraging you to slow down, meditate and concentrate on what is important in your life. Do you really need to check your phone a hundred times a day? Will the world fall apart if you only read emails twice a day? There is a useful one page summary at the end of the book which will remind you of the things you can do to help you slow down.

If you are rushing around all the time and not achieving very much then do try this book as it could change your life for the better. It is a beautifully produced book with plenty of space on the page as well as lots of inspirational quotations to make you think. I particularly liked the section on micro pauses and will be using some of those in my daily life. Remember if you don't slow down life may enforce a pause on you through physical or mental breakdown.

[Naila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aku bingung mau tulis ulasan apa. Aku beli buku ini di tahun 2020, tapi nggak pernah punya mood buat cepat baca. Dan ternyata, buku ini adalah pilihan tepat di waktu dan momen yang tepat. Ketika aku sedang berada di titik yang bisa dibilang sangat melelahkan, bahkan hal sepele pun bisa bikin aku kesal atau nangis, membaca buku ini seperti dipuk-puk dan ditenangkan. Seolah ada seseorang yang bilang "Coba lihat dirimu, coba dengarkan apa yang tubuhmu coba sampaikan padamu melalui sinyal-sinyal yang kamu rasakan. Istirahatlah sejenak, kamu akan baik-baik saja."

[Marike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pauze brengt je weer een stapje dichter bij jezelf en herinnert je aan zaken waarmee je rekening moet houden. Zaken die je al wist, maar die even naar de achtergrond verdwenen waren. Het herinnert je eraan dat je ook voor anderen kiest als je voor jezelf kiest, want je kan enkel voor anderen zorgen als je voor jezelf zorgt.

[Piia Appo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Raamat ise on ilusate illustratsioonidega ning raamatu lõpus olevad "lühipauside harjutused" on iseenesest head, aga kahjuks ülejäänud osas pidin pettuma. Sellise sisu juures oleks võinud olla rohkem a) teaduslikke seletusi ja allikaid või b) rohkem isiklikku ja personaalseid kogemusi/lugusid. Siin ei olnud kumbagi, mistõttu sisuline pool jäi nõrgaks (kuigi idee osas mulle selle raamatu mõte meeldis).

[Emma Sedlak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes the right books just come to you at the right and necessary times... this is one of those books.

[christinemm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a self-help book and guide with some exercises for you to do as well as also reading the authors own experiences throughout. Trying to get the message that being too busy and leading too fast of a pace of life hinders your ability to actually enjoy the moments as you live them is nothing new. There are even a handful of self-help books with the same exact title and message already in print. But this doesn’t mean that what is here is not worthwhile. Perhaps Marchant’s book will be the first introduction to these ideas or to these exercises for some readers, and that’s all that matters.

The book is pretty, filled through out with pastel modern decorations and some that mimic watercolor. The illustrations give a sense of calm. There was a lot of white space on the page. This is very easy and quick reading if you were just reading it through and not stopping to answer questions or think about your own life.

Although the book is not written for women that I could tell, it is designed graphically in a way that probably will appear almost to women.

Maybe this will also reach young adults before they fully embark on the crazy train Of the rat race lifestyle, living that way has many downsides and is nothing to brag about or feel proud of. Busyness is really not so wonderful and Multitasking Pretty much means you’re not paying sufficient attention to anything.

Personally I would have preferred a book that just discusses the ideas in a general manner and does not give so much personal information about the author. It didn’t add to my experience except I kept thinking, “Oh she just realized that?”
and, “Why did it take her so long?” For me this was a distraction from thinking about the topic itself or thinking about what this means for my own life. The insights which she thought was paradigm shift in for her are actually pretty ordinary that probably every person will discover.

Personally I didn’t hear or learn anything new in this book that I have not seen published in the past. The exercises that are given such as questions and quizzes things to think about I have read elsewhere already. This book is the same old message said buy a new writer. Rating for three stars = it’s okay. If you’ve never read a self-help book on this topic of slowing down so as to enjoy life more this is a good starting point. It’s also probably a really good starter self-help book for women in their 20s. Colloquial writing Is usually appreciated by young people.

[Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of helpful nuggets of advice on avoiding burnout. Certainly had one or two exercises I found useful. Soothingly presented and heartfelt.

My only issue is that there is pseudoscience involved. If this was presented as spirituality, I wouldn't have a problem with it, because there is certainly wisdom outside of hard facts. Blending actual science and pseudoscience could mislead a layperson and therefore is something I can't endorse.

[Lynda Lippin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have studied a lot of different meditation, coaching, and self-awareness modalities. But, in the end, what works best for me is pulled from different traditions.

Pause pulls from many traditions, Eastern and Western, giving the best tools and behaviors to help you pause from the craziness of life and regain calm, happiness, and enjoyment. Highly useful and recommended!

[Snezhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn’t for everyone. While reading it I kept assessing if I think it’s helpful to me, but also, if it would be helpful to everyone else in my life I believe is chronically stressed and on the way to burn out.
If you are the type of person who has realized:
- that things can’t carry on as they are
- that you don’t want to keep working all the time and make your needs wait
- that your way of life is unsustainable and changes need to be done
If you are willing to sit down and do writing exercises, to challenge your current habits and find the time to walk in nature or take a bath, despite all of your urges to keep working harder and harder at all the to-do lists in your life - then you might benefit from having this book.

There’s practices in it that can be helpful not only to those suffering from burn-out, but to anyone looking to improve the balance, self awareness and self-care in their life.

However, if you’re in the middle of chronic stress and you haven’t quite understood that you can’t keep going like this, if you are buying this book for someone you’re concerned about, hoping to bring their bad ways to their attention - this might not be the right book for them YET.

You won’t read much in this book that you can’t find in online articles or videos about burnout. However, It could be good to have it on your shelf, to pull out every now and again as a reminder and set of tools/ prescribed practices.

The beginning of the book also starts with some language that I found too uppity and off putting. Example:
“Luxuriate in sharing your story with yourself, taking the time to hear what needs to be heard from within.”
But if you can get over this - I’d buy a second hand copy of it to add to your self-care library.

[Livia Winata · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found that this book was a little bit more practical than I thought it would be. The idea of the pause itself was not something really powerful. But honestly, the practical step by step, the phase to take a pause and reconsider life once in a time was quite good for some people who under stress. I dont think it will work for some others who enjoy they job, routines, life, and all. It is more about meditation in the middle of exhaustion. So I cannot say that it was a bad book, but for me, it wasn't what I need right now or maybe at most of the times in the future. I prefer to find a book about how to enjoy my life more, rather than a book to guide me to pause. It is me, it might be different for some of you.

But well, the book was FREAKING CUTE and REFRESHING. With the illustrations, water colors, quotes and all. It is a very good book for stress relief. It was just not my type.

[Christian T · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meeldis:
-> Raamat on hea ladusa kirjastiiliga
-> Lihtne mõista
-> Praktilised ülesanded
-> Raamatu saab läbi 2 õhtuga

Ei meeldinud:
-> Puudusid viited ja kasutatud kirjandus. Kogu raamatu peale oli viidatud ühes kohas ühele teosele ning ühes kohas ütles, et "Luges ühes artiklis"...
-> Hea raamat inimesele, kes loeb esmakordselt enesehoiu kohta -> saab kindlasti põhitõed kätte.
-> Olles eelnevalt lugenud erinevaid psühholoogide ja psühhiaatrite kirjutatud raamatuid, siis oli tohutult palju samu mõtteid ja kordusi, viited puuduvad
-> Samuti puuduvad näited, lood. St raamat keskendub soovitustele toomata isiklikke lugusid või aidatud inimeste lugusid (anonüümselt).
-> Autori kohta on kirjas vaid, et ta on pikalt olnud koots, aga mis haridus jms - ka internetist ega AI-ga suutnud seda kindlaks teha

[Emma Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 stars

Review: This was a beautiful little book that was fun to read. I really enjoyed the first chapter the most when she talked more about the theory and reasons behind why it's important to be mindful/ take a pause. The exercises definitely were insightful for me however I found myself just wanting to read rather than do exercises but when I pushed through I did learn a lot about myself and it was worth it in the end.

A great little book to pick up and to keep on your shelf for those moments in life you need to stop and reconnect with yourself.

[Maxine Smitiuch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me by surprise! It’s been on my shelf for 2+ years, finally I picked it up and I’m so sad it’s done! I will be revisiting and continuing to go back to some of the meditations, practices and lessons. Such a great message - I’ve always hated the culture of “busyness” and this book was such an easy, digestible way to be more mindful about pausing everyday.

Highly recommend if you’re looking for ways to combat burn out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author admits up front: there is nothing new here. But the simple beautiful graphics, the structured exercises, and the way the author plainly but effectively communicates the ideas of slowing down and reflecting are wonderful. I enjoyed this book more than I anticipated and was inspired to buy it after initially borrowing it from the library. It is one I plan to return to again and again.

[Fajar Fitrianto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is quite practical. Provide you with some pause technique you can do in a step-by-step process. What i really love from this book is there are a lot of questions, powerful questions to ask to yourself in order to getting more deeper in yourself. This book is can help you to starting your own pause habbit.

[Iggy V · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book randomly at the perfect timing, when I need to Pause unless my life would pause me. For overall content in here is good for busy ones who start feeling drained or burnt out from tight schedules. This will be your first step to reconnect with yourself and reflect what you really want in your life. If you’ve been doing light work a but while, this might be too fundamental for you.

[Bert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pause is a great little self help book that encourages people to take a pause in life before it jumps the gun and does it for you. Beautifully produced and lovingly written, I think this is a book a lot of people would benefit from, especially during this time of the year. 3.5 stars.

[Gita Swasti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buku ini cukup berguna untuk dibaca di tengah pandemi seperti ini. Namun, yang perlu saya garis bawahi, tiap bab terdapat to-do-list yang harus dilakukan sementara to-do-list tersebut lebih cocok dan efektif dilakukan ketika situasinya bukan saat karantina seperti ini.

[Deena ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

الكتاب حلو ساعدني بأني افتح مخي شوي واخذ بريك منجد لان حياتي الفتره اللي راحت كانت شوي زحمه ، داخل الكتاب بتلاقون تمارين تساعدكم انكم تحددون اهدافكم وتوصلون لنتيجه حلوه ، طبعا الكتاب ماراح يحل مشاكل او اي شي بس ممتع للقراءة وكل يوم اتحمس اصحى الصباح علشان بس ابدا اقراه

[Ayona Iona · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a book I will refer to back and forth for affirmations to be refreshed when caught up.

[Wendy M · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enforced pause in my life led me to this book. insightful for me. I now realise if I don't pause then life will pause me.

[Claire O'Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely quick read , which I’m sure I’ll revisit from time to time

[Andrea Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, easy read. Lots of strategies and easy ideas to bring some balance and calm in our busy minds.

[Richard Brier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of common sense in this book. Worth the time to read it.

[Jacquie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical advice and good exercises to complete for mindfulness. I loved the quizzes where it teaches you the importance to slow down.

[Rawa'A Naimat · Rating 5 out of 5]

comfort and satisfaction in a book

[Rayyan Mohd Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book that helps you to recover from burnout.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice, nothing special but good reminders and refreshing take on life

[Piret Peensoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tore paitav lugemine, harjutustega alles alustan. Ju siis mul oli vaja pausi :)

[avely.reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ Wonderfully simple and powerful! I plan to keep this book with me to do the exercises, remind myself by reading snippets, and taking more time for myself.