She’d finally reached the end of a very busy few weeks.
The big project was finished.
The deadlines were over.
The children were with their grandparents for the afternoon.
The house was quiet.
“I sat down with a cup of tea,” she said, “and I couldn’t relax.
Within seconds my mind was making lists.
Maybe I should clean out that cupboard.
I really should answer those emails.
I haven’t phoned my mother.
I could get ahead for next week…"
She laughed ironically as she told me all this.
“I wanted that break so badly. Then, when I finally got it… I couldn't seem to enjoy it.”
Do you also know that feeling?
I know I do.
You’ve been longing for a pause… Then when it arrives, you somehow fill it.
Not always with doing. Sometimes just with thinking. Planning. Worrying. Feeling guilty.
Or you do something 'just quickly' and before you know it your quiet time has run out.
It's one thing to create space in your diary.
But creating space inside yourself is something else entirely.
And I don’t think anybody really teaches us how to do that as we grow up.
We’re taught how to work...
How to achieve...
How to keep going...
But not how to settle.
Not how to simply be.
It seems to be one of the quiet costs of always living at full speed.
That slowing down feels unfamiliar, and even peace can feel uncomfortable.
So we never feel at peace inside ourselves.
The good news is that I often see my clients and members of The Portal change this.
They discover more comfort with quiet.
More peace with themselves.
More trust that life won’t fall apart when you sit down with a cup of tea for ten peaceful minutes.
Quite the opposite.
It often leads to making better decisions afterwards.
Feeling kinder.
Thinking more clearly.
Showing up with more patience.
This month inside The Portal of Permission, we’re exploring what it means to rest in a way that genuinely nourishes you, without guilt and without feeling like you’re doing something wrong.
If that sounds like something your heart needs, we’d love to have you join us.
Click HERE for info.
If you loved yourself, how would you give yourself ten minutes of quiet today?
