Intentional Pause: Tips for Neurospicy Humans

Lina Vidmar Author

"I love how being an adult is just constantly saying,
'But after this week, things should slow down a bit'...
until you die."

(Said every spicy-brained human ever.)

Pausing sounds amazing in theory… but if your brain runs on spicy, it can also feel impossible.

If you're someone with a beautifully wiggly, juicy mind - this is for you. You’re not lazy, broken, or too much. You’re a spicy human doing your best and that’s always enough.

Let’s talk about how to make intentional pausing doable, kind, and maybe even (dare I say it?) enjoyable.

You want to pause. You know it’s good for you. But also… the boredom? The discomfort? The restless limbs and racing thoughts? Hard.

That’s okay.

Let’s make pausing work with your brain, not against it.

1. Make it sensory-friendly

Start with low effort, high comfort.

Set up a cozy corner in your home: dim lighting, a soft blanket, maybe a familiar, soothing scent or your Care Bear.

Your nervous system will begin to soften the moment you step into that space - especially when it becomes familiar and safe over time.

2. Use external cues

Our brilliant spicy brains are full of ideas, but remembering to pause? That’s a different story.

Try:

• A gentle alarm or timer
• A song that becomes your “pause anthem”
• Reminder apps (I use Yapp Radom Reminders that sends playful, custom nudge-notes at random times throughout the day)

Let your devices help you pause. You don’t have to remember everything.

3. Start small. Really small.

Try pausing for just 3–5 minutes. Gaze out the window. Blink slowly. Play your favourite song and practice being.

Boom - you’re pausing 💥

Small = sustainable.
No pressure = more likely to do it again.

4. Move before you still

Trying to meditate after a full-on day? Yeah… no.

Your body might need to blow off steam first:

• Stretch
• Wiggle
• March backwards through your kitchen
• Shake out your body like a wet dog

Movement is a portal to a calmer mind, not a totally quiet one (that doesn’t exist, btw).

5. Options, but not too many

Decision fatigue is real, especially on a day meant to bring the opposite.

That’s why if you’re doing a longer pause (like an Intentional Pause Day), you’ll get a handful of thoughtful choices, not 20 overwhelming tabs to open in your brain.

You might:

• Start with a journaling prompt
• Doodle a little
• Try a short recorded rest practice
• Follow your curiosity from there

👉🏼 Pick one thing to begin with, and let that choice lead you to the next. One step at a time. No pressure to “do it all.” We’re not pausing to complete a checklist.

6. Let pauses have pauses

Can’t stay still for 20-min of Yoga Nidra? That’s okay.
Get up. Water a plant. Tidy one drawer. Return if you feel like it.

Pause isn’t detention, it’s an exploration journey 🧭

7. Reflect in your way

Hate journaling? That’s fine.

Try:

• Voice notes
• Emojis to describe your mood
• Doodling with zero intention
• Talk with your newly-named plant Lorna (no judging, I was bored 😀🪴).

Reflection doesn’t need to be deep to be helpful.

8. Set intentions, not goals

Let’s go with: “I’d like to feel a little more connected to myself.”
Instead of: “I will heal my entire nervous system in one day.” 🫠

Intentions make room for the pause to feel like a gift, not a pressured task.

9. Be willing to suck at it and celebrate anyway

Planned to pause for 3 hours but only made it through 1? Amazing. You showed up, listened, and made an empowered choice to stop. That’s self-love in action 🤗

Let the pause be your playground. We’re here to reconnect and be curious, not perform and perfect.

10. Get curious about your pause beliefs

Don’t believe everything your mind says.

Instead of: “I can’t pause because my brain is too ADHD.”
Try: “I wonder how I can make pausing feel good for my brain.”

You might find new, playful ways that surprise you. Curiosity is a form of care 💛

Nobody can define your pause for you.

I offer practices that support me, but you are the creative genius of your own pause.

Pausing is a practice of reclaiming space. Reconnecting with your voice. Coming home 🏡

Love,
Lina

P.S. Why are pause days so freakin' awesome and help so much? 

If you’re wondering why these gentle pauses are so powerful, here’s what they actually do for your brain:

🔋Recharge your executive function battery
🔋 Reduce sensory overload
🔋 Activate your creativity
🔋 Prevent spicy burnout
🔋 Let emotions surface without overwhelm

Yes, it might feel boring or even uncomfortable at first. But that’s a good sign. It means your system is recalibrating.

Dr. Tara Swart, neuroscientist, says:

“When you avoid boredom, your brain never gets a chance to reset its dopamine baseline. You stay overstimulated and under-motivated.”

Her tip:

“Let yourself be bored. Seriously. No phone in line at the shop. No podcast on a short walk. Boredom creates space for creativity and natural motivation.”

If you’re like me and hate being told what to do, I get it. But from lived experience? These little pauses work. Even in tiny doses.

Sunday Jun 8 👉🏼 Intentional Pause Day. Come join us. 

Categories: : mindful living, nervous system, neurospicy