How to Use the Sacred Pause to Manage Stress and Anxiety at Work

Picture this: You’re in the middle of a tense meeting or a heated conversation, and suddenly, an emotional surge threatens to overwhelm you. An emotional trigger has turned an otherwise manageable (even stressful) situation into a storm.

Often, these emotional triggers stem from deep-seated experiences and unresolved emotions, making them powerful and sometimes overwhelming. When one of these triggers arises, you may feel powerless to stop it from ruining a situation, the entire day, or even a relationship. They can wreak absolute havoc on your business and personal life.

However, what if you had the power to take a sacred pause, regain your composure, and respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively?

The sacred pause is an invaluable mindfulness practice that empowers you to gain control over your emotional triggers. By integrating this practice into your daily routine, you can significantly enhance both your personal and professional relationships, as well as achieve a heightened state of well-being.

Understanding Emotional Triggers

Before using the sacred pause in your daily life, you must understand your emotional triggers and how they contribute to such strong emotional responses.

Everyone’s emotional triggers are different, and they can be just about anything — a word, a person, a certain situation, or even something you might see. When you see or experience this emotional trigger, a very strong negative emotion arises, whether that’s anxiety, anger, sadness, frustration, etc.

Common Sources of Triggers

Often, emotional triggers are rooted in painful or scary experiences from the past, unresolved traumas, or long-term stress and anxiety. For example, if you were in a painful car accident years ago, you might experience an emotional trigger anytime you hear a car honking. The noise brings up memories of negative emotions, causing you to panic or feel excess fear or anxiety.

Or, if you’ve worked in a very stressful situation for a long time, you might associate yelling with your toxic boss. Then, if someone raises their voice at you in a personal relationship, you might feel work-related stress or anxiety in a conversation that you would otherwise be able to manage.

The Concept of the Sacred Pause

So, how does the sacred pause work?

The sacred pause is a pause that you take when an emotional trigger arises. It allows you to step outside the situation, observe the emotions arising, and address them—and the situation—in a more thoughtful manner. Rather than allowing your emotions to wash over you and dictate your next actions, you can slow down and make the decisions you truly want to make.

“The beauty of the sacred pause lies in its subtlety. It asks for nothing more than awareness, yet within that awareness, we access the vast potential to shape our lives. In each moment of stillness, before we respond, we are not just reacting to the world; we are actively designing who we want to be. The sacred pause allows us to become the artist of our own character, consciously deciding how we wish to show up. By aligning our actions with our deepest truth, we transform the raw material of emotion into a deliberate expression of who we are becoming. This is where true mastery of emotional energy begins, within the quiet, potent space of the pause, where we sculpt ourselves into the person we aspire to be.” – Christina Lobraico, Executive Coach & Mindfulness Expert

The sacred pause doesn’t suppress your emotions but allows you to process them in a healthier manner, transforming the way you interact with the world. When you begin using the sacred pause, you’ll notice many benefits, including better control over your emotions, decision-making based on reason rather than emotion, and healthier, more productive relationships and interactions.

6 Ways to Practice the Sacred Pause

If you’d like to begin using the sacred pause in your daily life, there are a few techniques that you can try. As you pause, try a few tactics to settle your mind, lower your emotionally heightened state, and determine how you’d like to proceed.

1. Breathing Exercises

Start by trying a few deep breathing exercises. Focus on your breath, through your nose, and out through your mouth. Just a few seconds of deep breathing can help you re-center your mind.

2. Scanning the Body

Check in with your body. What physical sensations are you experiencing as these emotions arise? Do your shoulders tense up with anger? Does your stomach churn with anxiety? Release the tension in your body, and you may notice your emotional reaction lessen.

3. Journaling

If you’re at your desk or home and have a pen and paper handy, try journaling. Write down your emotions to process what’s happening to you before responding.

4. Reframing Thoughts

For some, emotional triggers can kick off a series of negative thoughts that continually intensify. Perhaps your anxiety is triggered by an angry email from a client, and you first think you’ll lose the account, then you think you’ll lose your job, then your house, etc.

As you pause, challenge these negative thoughts with alternative positive thoughts. How likely is the client to leave you? How true is it that you will lose your job? What empowering thought can you choose to believe that is more supportive rather than destructive?

Even if it’s difficult for you to believe the positive thoughts, challenging the thoughts can help reduce them over time.

5. Counting to Ten

One of the simplest things you can do? Before responding to the trigger, count slowly to ten. Just ten seconds is enough to help return you to a calm state.

6. Engaging in Physical Movement

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is get away from the trigger. Physically remove yourself from the situation by walking away. The distance can help you approach the trigger more healthily.

Mindfulness Matters in the Workplace

Mindfulness practices like the sacred pause can make a substantial difference in the workplace. Advocate for workplace mindfulness practices by implementing policies that promote enhanced well-being, such as regular team breaks for meditation or quiet reflection.

The Bottom Line

Mastering emotional triggers through the sacred pause is a valuable skill for improving emotional well-being and relationships. Incorporating this practice into daily life allows you to navigate emotional challenges with grace and composure.

Looking for more mindfulness practices to promote mental health? This Mental Health Awareness Day (October 10th), join Arootah’s Emotional Intelligence Panel to learn how you can grow your leadership and support your team’s wellness goals.