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When the world spins so fast – as it has been this month – it’s good to step back and take a breath. Press the pause button, or better, hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete and allow our system to reset afresh. Sometimes the best progress we make happens when we take time out and make time to reflect. Or simply, take a nap!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

I’ve been praying into this lately, especially as life seems to be moving at breakneck speed, and even after tragedies, somehow we’re meant to continue with business-as-usual. Why do we need to optimise every moment, be continually creating, promoting or improving? What if we’ve got it backwards?

In our hyperconnected, always-on culture, speed-of-light pace of modern life, the idea of stopping feels almost revolutionary. We’re conditioned to believe that productivity equals worth, that being busy means important, and that pausing is somehow giving up. It seems the world wants us to be frantic and perpetually in ‘reaction mode’. Perhaps this is leaning on our own understanding without us realising it. We are trying to control outcomes through sheer effort and volume.

What if the pause, the breath, the rest is actually where we create space to hear God’s direction?

The Science of Slowing Down

Our brains aren’t designed for constant input. Neuroscience shows us that during moments of rest – what neurologist Marcus Raichle[1] first identified as the “default mode network” – our minds actually become more creative, more insightful, and better at problem-solving. It’s during these quiet moments that our subconscious connects dots we didn’t even know existed.

Think about our best ideas. Do they come during frantic brainstorming sessions, or in the shower? While we’re rushing to meet deadlines, or during peaceful walks? Most of my breakthrough moments happen not when I’m pushing harder, but when I finally give myself permission to stop pushing altogether.

Could it be that these moments of stillness are when we’re most able to hear the Spirit’s still, small voice guiding our paths?

The Art of the Reset

Just like our computers run faster after a restart, our minds need those Ctrl+Alt+Delete moments too. When we’re constantly running programs in the background – worries, to-do lists, endless mental tabs open – everything slows down. A reset clears the cache of overwhelm and gives us back our processing power.

This doesn’t mean we’re weak or lazy. It means we’re wise enough to recognise that peak performance requires recovery periods. Athletes understand this. They don’t train at maximum intensity every single day – they build in rest days because that’s when the real growth happens.

Small Pauses, Big Benefits

We don’t need month-long retreats to reap the rewards of reflection. Even small moments of intentional pause can shift everything:

The morning breath – Those first few conscious breaths before checking our phones set the tone for our entire day.

The midday reset – A five-minute walk or moment of quiet can prevent the afternoon energy crash and mental fog.

The evening reflection – Taking stock of what went well helps our brains consolidate learning and prepares us for better sleep.

The weekend recharge – Protecting at least part of our weekends from productivity culture allows our nervous systems to truly relax.

Permission to Be Human

Here’s what we need to remember: we are not machines. We don’t need to optimise every moment or maximise every opportunity. Sometimes the most productive thing we can do is absolutely nothing. Sometimes the best use of an hour is a nap, a cup of tea without multitasking, or simply staring out the window – and trusting that God sees the bigger picture.

I have to keep telling myself, the world is not going to collapse if I don’t check my phone for a day.

Our worth isn’t measured by our output. Our value doesn’t decrease when we rest. In fact, the opposite is true – when we honour our need for pause, we show up more present, more creative, and more genuinely ourselves in everything we do. When we trust with all our heart instead of leaning on our own understanding, we discover a different kind of productivity altogether.

The Ripple Effect

A few years ago, when we lived on the Gold Coast, we shared a house with a fabulously rambunctious family. A couple of times a week, we’d take ‘sundowners’ together on the deck. A moment to pause and reflect, to share whatever was going on. At the time, I didn’t realise how much we were supporting each other, and how important these ‘resets’ were.

When we model the courage to pause and reflect, we give others permission to do the same. In a world that’s forgotten how to breathe, our pause becomes a gentle reminder that there’s another way to live. Our rest becomes revolutionary. Our trust becomes a testimony as to who directs our paths.

So the next time life feels like it’s spinning too fast, take a moment to remember: the pause button isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity. Hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete on the chaos. Take that breath. Acknowledge Him in this moment. Trust that when we’re ready to engage again, we’ll do so with more clarity, more energy, and more wisdom than before – not because we’ve manufactured it, but because we’ve made space to receive it.

Sometimes the best progress happens when we stop trying so hard to make progress at all.

What’s your heart telling you? Have you let world events and circumstances overtake your understanding? Struggling to make sense of the ‘everyday’? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Share this blog with your friends. It is important to acknowledge that timeout is essential – and sacred.

[1] Raichle ME. The brain’s default mode network. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2015 Jul 8;38:433-47. doi: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-071013-014030. Epub 2015 May 4. PMID: 25938726.

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash