One of the things we love about the PAUSE is that you can use it to interrupt your reactivity to external actions, and you can use it to provide support for how you respond to your internal thoughts and feelings.
When people are under stress, they often work harder, run faster, spend less time sleeping, exercising, and eating. They feel overwhelmed and have no clue how to get clear about what they need.
Pausing is a powerful way to help yourself figure out what you need, and when you combine it with the use of HALT, it can be a game-changer.
The acronym HALT gives you a simple framework that can help you determine if your basic needs are being met so that you can get your footing and move forward.
HALT typically stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. When you’re overwhelmed and aren’t sure what you’re feeling, ask yourself:
Am I HUNGRY?
Am I ANGRY?
Am I LONELY?
Am I TIRED?
As you think about these questions, consider the following:
- Hunger can be used to consider if you’re physically hungry, but it can also be a way to explore if you’re experiencing an emotional longing that needs filling for you to feel satisfied.
- Anger is a common and normal emotion that often needs some exploration. Are you angry with a situation, a person, a group, or yourself? Are you angry in response to a single event or an ongoing pattern?
- Loneliness can occur when you’re alone or when you’re surrounded by lots of people. If you find you’re lonely, ask yourself what you need and who you can reach out to for connection and support.
- Tiredness can be more debilitating than we ever imagine. Explore what’s causing the tiredness and consider how you can provide yourself some rest. It may be that you need more sleep, but it could also mean you need time by yourself, movement out in nature, or a break from work.
You matter to us!