What do you think when you read the following quote from Angeles Arrien, the late Basque-American anthropologist, author and speaker? “Nature’s rhythm is medium to slow. Many of us live in the fast lane, out of nature’s rhythm. There are two things we can never do in the fast lane: We can neither deepen our experience nor integrate it. Silence and nature foster an environment in which we can do this work and nurture our spirit.”
Did it resonate with you in any way? Arrien suggested that we pay the price for being out of balance with the natural rhythm of nature. He told us how we might integrate the important but frequently neglected work of “being” with our culture’s emphasis on “doing.”
References to a culture of “toxic productivity” are not uncommon in business publications. One author defines it this way: “Toxic productivity is a pattern of behavior characterized by an obsession with productivity at the expense of your physical and mental health. It’s caused by several factors, including a perfectionist mindset, a fear of failure or a need to control your environment.”
That sounds like the sacrifice syndrome we wrote about earlier this year. As veterinary professionals, with our tendency to want to do things the right way and maintain control, we seem naturally prone to such a potential hazard.
The two of us achieved growing awareness over the past several years of the need to actively seek and prioritize balance in our lives. And as coaches and advisers to a variety of veterinary professionals, we wonder how the profession’s focus on performance, pay for production and efficiency contributes to its current challenges with burnout and career dissatisfaction.
In her Fast Company blog post, Katina Bajaj says this about “our culture’s obsession with productivity”: “As we race to our jobs, churn through never-ending to-do lists, and run from meeting to meeting, eyes glazed over from the frenzied nature of our daily lives, many of us believe that we need to work this way in order to deserve rest. Our culture is obsessed with this chaos, which writer Tim Kreider describes as ‘an endless, frantic hamster wheel for survival.’
“Here’s the problem: By trying to optimize every moment of our day and squeeze out every bit of productivity we can, we have ended up with the largest mental health epidemic ever recorded.”
Sound familiar? If you replace “meeting to meeting” with “appointment to appointment,” “client to client” or “procedure to procedure,” does it not sound like a typical day in veterinary practice?
Our recent experience brings up these potentially critical questions:
- Without ever stopping to observe yourself, how can you explore what else you might do or who you might become?
- If you always push forward relentlessly, where is the room for the things of the heart?
- If you never stop to question what you are doing, how will you know you are doing the right or good things?
So, what can we do about all of this? According to Bajaj, “The answer to escaping life’s endless, frantic hamster wheel doesn’t call for simply opting out. The answer, in part, already lives in our brains. We just have to slow down enough to access it.”
Do Pause
In his book “Do Pause: You Are Not a To Do List,” Robert Poynton shares that since the idea that speed equals productivity is so widespread and dominant, we are hardly aware of it. Because of that, “We associate pause with delay and procrastination, not deliberation or wisdom.”
Poynton goes on to say that in life, as in art, we need to step back to see the spaces between all the tasks on our to-do lists. We must be conscious of this negative space, which lies around or between objects or events, because it shapes the whole.
Illinois psychologist Dr. Chris L. Johnson looks at it this way: “Today’s complexities heighten distraction and overwhelm. Task mode feels good because it involves action, yet it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. To mindfully pause is to interrupt your automatic reactions to life’s events and the stories that flow from those reactions. Pausing allows your mind to take a break, so you can be with life as it is versus how you’d like life to be. Pausing is also part of a larger cycle of work and renewal, a rhythmic flow of life. Pausing’s not merely a good idea. It’s a required nutrient like air or water.”
If we can remember to pause and be present even in the most challenging situations, we can escape the rut of habitual behaviors, opening us to the possibility of another way of seeing things and perhaps a more creative way of responding. Poynton offers this metaphor: “Just as a small amount of yeast makes light of heavy dough, a small amount of pause here and there can leaven or lighten your life. You don’t need much, but it is a vital ingredient.”
How to Practice the Pause
Here are a couple of places to start benefiting from “the power of the pause” in your life.
- From Dr. Johnson’s LinkedIn post: “As you go through your day today, choose to pause, whether you’re sitting or standing. Drop your attention to your breath at your belly, take three deep breaths, and tune into your physical sensations without judgment. Notice constriction, pressure or movement in your body. You have no agenda other than to pause and be. Choose to do this practice three times a day. At the end of your day, answer the question, ‘What did I learn from practicing the pause?’”
- Try incorporating mindful minutes into your day. Listen to the American Animal Hospital Association podcast featuring Dr. Katie Berlin and guest Patty Casebolt, who offers excellent tips for incorporating “micromoments of mindfulness” throughout the day.
By pausing and practicing mindfulness, you can learn to quiet your mind, notice yourself and the world around you, and make more purposeful choices about everything — your thoughts, emotions and actions. When you behave with intention like that, you reduce stress and anxiety.
The work we do and the nature of the problems we face require more pause, not less. Opting to pause and reflect, rather than panic or withdraw, is necessary, not a luxury or distraction. Experimenting with pause gives you a way to play around with the rhythms of your life.
We encourage you to explore the power of a pause in a way that flows for you.