If you're anything like me, you've probably heard this voice in your head: "If I stop, everything will fall apart."

I worked so hard to hold everything together, including myself, because I thought that if I let go, even for a split second, everything would collapse. I imagined myself unravelling like a rope pulled too thin, tumbling into a pit of despair with no bottom, and no way back. So I gripped tighter, white-knuckled, never realizing the holding on was the very thing keeping me from being free.

That's the lie burnout whispers: that rest is lazy, stillness is weakness, and your worth comes from doing more, faster, better. It hisses that if you stop, even for a breath, the whole house of cards will tumble, and you'll never be able to put it back together again.

But here's the truth: your nervous system doesn't heal through more hustle. It heals in pause. And not the collapse-on-the-couch, scroll-your-phone, and numb yourself kind of pause. I mean the kind where your body feels held, your breath deepens, and your mind finally stops racing.

Try it right now:
1) Place both feet flat on the floor and feel the floor under your feet.
2) Take one slow inhale, one long exhale.
3) Whisper (so your nervous system hears it): "I don't have to earn this breath."
4) Place a hand on your heart, and feel the emotions that rise up.

Notice how your body shifts, even slightly, in just a few seconds. That's the power of the pause.

In my workshop on Saturday, The Sacred Pause, Without Falling Behind, we're practicing this together. Not just once, but in a way that rewires how your body holds stress, pressure, and worth.

Reserve your free seat here → https://www.meetup.com/mindfullnessimprov/events/311445940/

Stay to the end, and I'll gift you a guided reset you can play whenever the stress cycle kicks in. This way, you don't just learn this once; you can live it every day.

Much love,
Marie-Josee
Live. Love. Laugh. It matters because YOU matter.

Do you know why I add this at the end of my messages?

Because I want you to remember:
Live, don’t just survive.
Love, don’t just strive.
Laugh, don’t just hold it all together.
Because your life, your joy, and your presence matter to your wellbeing, and the wellbeing of everyone around you. It creates a ripple.