Press the Pause Button on Stress

The Pause is your first powerful step toward finding peace in stressful moments, creating space to choose your response instead of defaulting to reaction. This practice interrupts the momentum of stress by creating a gap between trigger and response, allowing you to respond with intention rather than react automatically.

• Stress doesn't arrive politely—it barges in through everyday moments like frustrating texts, traffic jams, and difficult conversations
• Our automatic reactions to stress (snapping, shutting down, overthinking) are human, not failures of character
• The pause turns down the heat on stress, like turning off a burner when a pot boils over
• Simple pause practices include taking a breath before responding to criticism, stepping away briefly, or saying "I'll get back to you"
• Building a pause habit in easy moments makes it available during difficult times
• Pausing has a spiritual dimension—"Be still and know"—creating space to hear guidance beyond our own thinking
• This practice works whether you approach life practically or spiritually, shifting you from reaction to response

If this episode spoke to you, I'd love for you to follow and share it with someone who wants to bring more peace into their life. Visit my website at jonathan-hale.com to book some time with me. Peace is not passive, it's a practice and you're not alone on the journey.

https://jonathan-hale.com/

Episode Transcript

Jonathan (00:17):
I'm Jonathan Hale, and this is your invitation to seek
, find and keep peace in yourlife, even when life feels
anything but peaceful.
Welcome to the Inviting Peacepodcast.
This is a space for reflection,grounded truth and simple,
powerful ideas to help you findcalm in the chaos.

(00:39):
No hype, no fluff, just realtalk about what it takes to
cultivate peace from the insideout.
Whether you're in a period ofstress, in a season of searching
, or simply want to grow inclarity and stillness, this is
for you.
In today's episode, we'll beginwith the first step in finding

(01:02):
peace in stressful moments thepause, that quiet space where
the noise stops and somethingdeeper can finally be heard.
So take a breath, let's begin.
Let's start with a simple truth.
Stress doesn't arrive politely.

(01:23):
It doesn't knock on the door,wait patiently and ask if now's
a good time.
No, it barges in, determinedand controlling.
It throws its weight around andsuddenly we're tense, our
hearts race, our shoulderstighten, our thoughts speed up
and before we even know what'shappening, we're in it.

(01:44):
And here's the part that mostof us miss.
Stress doesn't always show up indramatic moments.
Yes, it can come through crisis, conflict or trauma, but more
often it seeps in througheveryday life.
A frustrating text, a trafficjam on the way to work or a

(02:06):
difficult conversation that leftyou feeling unseen or
misunderstood, a sharp commentfrom someone we love, a missed
deadline, the constant buzz ofdigital noise in our pockets,
even that subtle but constantpressure to be everything to
everyone all the time.
And when stress shows up, howdo we tend to respond?

(02:27):
We react.
We react quickly, oftenautomatically, and sometimes not
in ways we're proud of.
We snap, we shut down, weoverthink, we say something rude
.
Now let me say something gentlyhere.
None of this makes you weak,none of it means you failed at
being peaceful.

(02:47):
It just means you're human.
But here's the invitation whatif the power to change that
pattern isn't found in the typeof reaction, but in the pause
before the reaction?
This is the very first step inthe peace framework.
I teach my clients P for pause,and I want to stay here for a

(03:08):
while today because it's notjust a clever starting point,
it's a game changer.
When I say pause, I'm nottalking about avoidance.
Pausing doesn't mean pretendingthings aren't stressful.
It doesn't mean minimizing yourfeelings and it certainly
doesn't mean putting your headin the sand.
It's about interrupting themomentum of stress before it

(03:31):
takes over.
It's about reclaiming justenough space to choose how you
want to respond, instead ofdefaulting to panic,
defensiveness or overload.
It's where we step in and sayWait, I get to choose how I
respond to this.
And that single breath of space.
That's where peace begins.

(03:53):
Let me offer you a real-worldscenario.
Imagine you're in the kitchenand a pot starts boiling over.
Let's say, you walked out ofthe room for a moment and now
it's boiling over Steameverywhere, the contents
spilling down the sides andacross the burner.
What's the very first thing youdo?
Well, you don't debate with thepot, you don't scold it, you

(04:16):
don't stare at it hoping it'llcalm down.
You turn off the heat and inour lives, stress is that
rolling boil.
The pause is what turns down theheat and no, it doesn't clean
the stove, but it does stopthings from getting worse.
It gives you the space tobreathe, to gather yourself and

(04:38):
to begin again, this time withintention.
Stress builds momentum fast andunless you disrupt it, it will
run the show.
But a pause, that's your powermove.
So what does this look likewhen we apply it to daily life?
Sometimes it's as small astaking a little longer before

(05:01):
answering a difficult textmessage.
Sometimes it's a physical pause, getting up from your desk and
stepping out for a minute.
Sometimes it's saying can I getback to you on that, instead of
committing to something you'renot sure about?
Small pause, big impact,because every time you pause

(05:22):
you're creating a gap wideenough to make a better choice.
The beauty of this practice isthat it's universal.
You don't need to meditate foran hour, you don't need a guru.
All you need is a willingnessto recognize when stress is
taking the wheel and to reclaimthat moment with a breath, a
step back or a quiet inner reset.

(05:45):
Let's say you're in a meetingand someone criticizes your work
unfairly.
Your first instinct Probablydefensiveness, maybe
embarrassment, maybe even anger.
But before you respond, beforeyou explain or apologize or
escalate, what if you paused?
Just two seconds?

(06:06):
A breath, a sip of water, asilent check-in with yourself.
What do I want to say here?
What would peace look like inthis moment?
Or at home?
Maybe the kids are loud, thedishes are stacked high, your
phone is buzzing and someonejust asked you a complicated
question.

(06:26):
You feel that tightening, theoverwhelm is rising.
Pause, put your hand on thecounter, take a breath.
Even five seconds of stillnesscan give you enough perspective
to respond with clarity insteadof reactivity.
And here's something I alwaysremind my clients you can build

(06:48):
a pause practice.
This isn't about mastering askill overnight.
It's like any habit.
You practice it when it's easyso that it's available when it's
hard.
You might start by pausingbefore you check your phone in
the morning, pausing before yousay yes to that extra commitment
, pausing before you respond tothat email.

(07:09):
One breath, one beat, oneimportant second, and over time,
something changes.
You begin to feel more grounded, not because life is stressful,
but because you're meeting itdifferently.
You're no longer at the mercyof the moment, you're in
partnership with it, and that,my friend, is peace in action.

(07:34):
Now let's shift our lens.
Let's step into somethingdeeper, something sacred,
because while the pause can bepractical, there's another layer
to it that I believe speaks tothe deepest part of who we are.
When we pause, we're not justresetting our nervous systems,
we're opening space for aspiritual connection.

(07:56):
Now, I understand that we allcome from different spiritual
backgrounds, or perhaps none atall, but in my experience,
there's something incrediblymeaningful about what happens
when we quiet the noise longenough to hear the whisper
underneath.
There's a passage I love fromthe Psalms.
There's a passage I love fromthe Psalms.
You've probably heard it beforeBe still and know that I am God

(08:20):
.
That line carries weight for me, not just because of its
spiritual truth, but because ofits instructive sequence First
be still, then know.
Stillness is what allows us toaccess a deeper knowing.
And in today's world, stillnessis almost counter-cultural.

(08:43):
We're so used to reacting,explaining, defending, fixing.
But God, he doesn't shout at usover the chaos.
It's the opposite.
He whispers and if we don'tpause we miss it.
In a noisy world, pausing is aform of worship.
It's a declaration that says Itrust there's something bigger

(09:06):
at work here than just my to-dolist or this moment of panic.
It says I don't have to haveall the answers right now, I
just need to listen.
Sometimes, when I'm in a momentof stress or overwhelm, I pause
and say a simple prayer in mymind God help me see this
differently.
Or sometimes, what would peacelook like here?

(09:29):
That invitation opens the doorfor a different kind of wisdom
outside of our own mind.
Not just what's logical, butwhat's right.
Not just what's urgent, butwhat's right.
Not just what's urgent, butwhat's true.
And whether or not you share mybeliefs.
I believe everyone can benefitfrom a spiritual kind of pause,

(09:50):
one that moves beyond the mindand into the heart.
You don't need to have it allfigured out, you don't need to
belong to a particular religionto access this step toward peace
.
You just need a littlewillingness to stop, breathe and
be open.
When you pause, you make spacefor something bigger than your
fear, your stress, your anxiety.

(10:13):
You remember that you are notjust a body in motion.
You are a soul worthy of rest,worthy of peace, worthy of
guidance.
So maybe your spiritual pausetoday is a moment of prayer.
Maybe it's journaling aquestion and sitting quietly
with whatever comes.

(10:34):
Maybe it's simply closing youreyes and saying I'm open.
However you choose to do it,the point is to make room.
So, whether you're someone wholeans into the practical, the
spiritual or somewhere inbetween, pressing the pause
button on stress is a powerfulplace to begin, not because it

(10:56):
fixes everything instantly, butbecause it gives you the space
to shift from reaction toresponse, from chaos to calm,
from survival to peace.
Whether you feel connected toGod or not, whether you approach
life through logic or intuition, pressing the pause button is a

(11:17):
practice that meets us allright where we are.
You might be a parent trying tostay calm in the chaos, a
professional balancing too manydeadlines, someone navigating
loss or change, or simply thecomplexity of being human in a
noisy world.
Wherever you find yourself,peace isn't out of reach and it

(11:40):
starts in the pause.
Not a perfect pause, not adramatic retreat from life, but
a moment, a breath, a shift.
So, as we end this time together, I want to invite you to
reflect.
Where in your life is stresscalling the shots?
Where have you been reactingwithout realizing it, and what

(12:05):
might become possible if youpressed pause?
Take that with you, sit with it, let it unfold in your mind
this week.
If you need something simple tostart with here, it is Put your
feet flat on the ground, closeyour eyes, inhale deeply through

(12:26):
your nose and exhale slowlythrough your mouth Again and
again.
And if all you remember fromthis episode is this Pause, then
proceed.
That alone can change thecourse of your day.
Join me in the next episode whenwe explore the skill of how you

(12:47):
can quickly evaluate before youreact, no matter where you are
in your journey, whether you'redeeply spiritual, spiritually
curious or just looking forpractical tools to get through
the week.
I hope you'll carry this truthwith you.
You are allowed to pause, youare allowed to breathe, and

(13:09):
peace is not something you earn.
It's something you choose, onepause at a time.
So when life feels anything butpeaceful, you know what to do
Pause Peace.

(13:40):
If this episode spoke to you,I'd love for you to follow and
share it with someone who wantsto take action to bring a little
more peace into their life.
As you know, I'm a peace coachand I invite you to visit my
website at jonathan-halecom tobook some time with me.
Remember, peace is not passive,it's a practice and you're not
alone on the journey.
Until next time, be kind toyourself and keep seeking peace.

(14:06):
Thank you.