Hi, this is Monique Rhodes. Welcome to the In Your Right Mind Podcast, where we're learning how to be happier by working with our minds.
If you'd like to know more about what I teach, come to iintendtobehappy.com. I’d love to teach you how to be happier—just like I’ve taught people all over the world.
When Life Feels Overwhelming
One of my students recently shared that she’s feeling completely overwhelmed—mentally, emotionally, physically.
She’s snapping at her kids, jumping at her partner, and feeling drained by the end of the day.
Even during quiet moments, her mind replays every criticism, every worry, every regret.
She’s not living in the present.
She wants to be calmer, less triggered.
She wants to enjoy her days—not just survive them.
So let's talk about how.
The Power of the Pause
Modern life has us racing on autopilot.
Emails flood in.
To-do lists never end.
Demands from work, family, and friends never stop.
That’s why pausing—even for just a few seconds—can be one of the most powerful things you do all day.
Why Pausing Matters
Here’s why it makes such a difference:
- Restores your freedom to choose
- Instead of reacting impulsively, a pause lets your wiser self step in.
- It turns a harsh reaction into a compassionate one.
- A moment of conflict becomes a moment of growth.
- Declutters your mind
- Pausing resets your nervous system.
- You breathe. You recenter. You let go of the mental noise.
- This is how clarity emerges again.
- Builds emotional resilience
- Think of presence as a muscle.
- Each pause trains it.
- Over time, you’ll meet discomfort with more ease and less overwhelm.
- Deepens relationships
- A pause helps you listen better, tune into energy, and respond with care.
- Presence builds trust and invites more honest, compassionate connection.
- Connects you to life
- Life isn’t lived in some far-off milestone.
- It’s happening right now.
- Pausing lets you feel the breath in your body, the colors around you—
- It reminds you: life is to be lived, not just managed.
How to Start Pausing
Try this:
- Set a few reminders on your phone during the day.
- When the reminder goes off—stop.
- Just for three seconds.
Breathe.
Feel your body.
Notice what shifts.
This is not a productivity hack.
It’s about being fully alive.
While hacks might boost efficiency, they rarely guard your well-being.
Pausing does.
The Gift of Presence
Life will always bring stress, surprises, and conflict.
That’s inevitable.
But when you learn to pause:
- You stop reacting.
- You start responding.
- You stay grounded in your truth.
Presence isn’t a skill.
It’s a gift.
To yourself, and to everyone around you.
Right Now Is Everything
Life isn’t just happening in the big moments.
It’s happening here, in this breath, in this pause.
When we meet this moment with intention, with kindness, with awareness—
That’s how we live a rich and beautiful life.
So give yourself permission to pause.
Not for perfection.
For presence.
And that… is everything.
I hope this has been helpful.
As always, be kind.
Take care.
Go gently in the world.
