Ever felt like life’s moving too fast to catch your breath? In this deeply honest episode, Heather shares how taking a complete break from “doing” transformed her energy, creativity, and inner dialogue. You’ll hear what really happens when you stop forcing progress — and how the words you use can become the gateway to alignment, clarity, and calm.

It’s not just about mindset; it’s about linguistics, energy, and the unconscious power of how you talk to yourself.

This is your permission to pause.

What’s Inside:

• The surprising truth about overdoing and emotional avoidance
• How to hear your own voice again after burnout
• Why words carry the energy that shapes your entire experience
• Three big lessons about slowing down with intention
• A personal “Power Pause” challenge you can try this week
• A calm invitation to join The Power Pause Weekend — a two-part online retreat that’ll help you reset completely

Chapters:

• 00:04 - The Power of Pausing
• 01:18 - Finding Clarity Through Pause
• 02:48 - The Power of Words
• 03:38 - Key Lessons on Personal Empowerment
• 05:34 - Introducing the Power Pause Weekend
• 06:25 - Preparing for a New Season

The Details:

Life can feel like a never-ending race, can’t it? But what if I told you that sometimes the best way to move forward is to pause? This week, we’re diving headfirst into the concept of the Power Pause – yes, that’s right, I said ‘pause’, not ‘push’!

I recently took a much-needed break, and it opened my eyes to how essential it is to step back and realign our thoughts and energy. When I stopped, I discovered that ‘overdoing’ often masquerades as productivity, and boy, did I have a lot of that going on!

In this episode, I share my journey of how the simple act of slowing down allowed me to reconnect with my inner voice. I talk about the shifts in language that can transform our mindset from survival mode to thriving mode. How about ditching ‘I have to’ for ‘I get to’? It’s a small shift that can make a world of difference!

We’ll also explore how aligning our language with our intentions can enhance not just our personal lives but our professional ones too.

So, if you’re feeling burnt out or just plain overwhelmed, let’s embark on this Power Pause journey together and rediscover what truly matters. Trust me, the clarity you gain will be worth every minute of that pause!

Three Core Lessons:

1. Overdoing is avoidance. Constant doing numbs your intuition and blocks flow.
2. Words carry energy. Swap “I have to” for “I choose to” and feel your body shift.
3. Slow is strategic. Align your energy first; results follow naturally.

Pause Challenge:

Choose an evening — or a full day — and step away from noise, screens, and to‑do lists. Sit in the silence and listen to the language of your self‑talk. Then swap one pressuring phrase for a kinder one. Your nervous system will thank you.

The Invitation:

If you loved this episode, join Heather for The Power Pause Weekend — a two‑part online experience designed to help you rest, reflect, and realign before stepping into your next creative season.

Reserve your space at ChoosingHappy.space/powerpause

Memorable Moments:

• “The pause didn’t slow me down—it recalibrated my power.”
• “Productivity can be the neatest disguise for overwhelm.”
• “Your unconscious mind is always eavesdropping.”
• “Slow is the new strategic.”
• “Stop forcing clarity. Start creating space for it.”

Perfect For:

• Coaches and creators on the edge of burnout
• Anyone craving calm and clarity in a fast‑moving world
• Listeners ready to reconnect to their energy and purpose
• Those learning to use language as a catalyst for joy

The Permission You’ve Been Waiting For:

You don’t need to earn your rest.

Slowing down isn’t failure — it’s leadership.

Connect & Share:

Share this episode with someone who needs permission to rest.

Tag @ChoosingHappyPodcast with the words “I’m choosing my pause.”

Visit ChoosingHappy.space for tools, retreats, and reflections.

How You Can Connect with Heather and Support This Independent Podcast:

Please like, share with someone who may need to hear this today, and/or leave a review and support the podcast. I really appreciate it.

Tired of the same patterns keeping you stuck?

Check out the Pattern Breaker Coaching Program: www.choosinghappy.co.uk/pattern-breaker

Want to dive deeper? Drop me an email: heather@heathervmasters.com

Join the conversation: Community | https://buymeacoffee.com/choosinghappy

Hello, and welcome to the Choosing Happy Podcast.

So what happens when you finally give yourself permission to stop?

Not slow down a bit, but actually pause?

Because sometimes choosing Happy isn't about pushing through.

It's about giving yourself that space to breathe.

And this episode is about that.

The magic that happens when you step back, reset, and let your own energy catch up with you.

So stay tuned for today's Choosing Happy podcast.

I've been off air for about a week and a half.

Not because I run out of ideas, because I ran out of space.

Mental space, emotional space, creative space.

Between client sessions, creating content, planning the next thing, it all started to blur.

Every day became a marathon of just keep going, just one more thing.

And somewhere in that, I stopped hearing myself properly.

So I paused.

At first it was because I was exhausted.

But through coaching and a lot of honest reflection, I saw that constant doing had quietly become avoidance, a strategy.

Productivity is so socially acceptable.

It's something that we're told to strive for.

But it's often the neatest disguise for overwhelm, for avoidance, for procrastination.

So I began to listen.

I walked the dogs in nature, in the forest, without a podcast.

I cleaned, without turning it into content.

I let myself nap without guilt, without shame.

And slowly, the noise faded.

And underneath the noise, I could finally hear my own words again.

Everything I do revolves around words.

The words we use are the architect of our minds.

And when I really tuned into my inner dialogue, I realized the words I'd been using weren't very kind.

They weren't nice at all.

They were commands.

I must get this done.

I'm running out of time.

I should record that episode.

I haven't got enough time.

I need to catch up.

It wasn't language from love.

It was language from survival.

And here's the truth.

It's not just your thoughts that shape your reality.

It's your words.

And deeper still, it's the energy behind those words that shapes the quality of your life.

Your unconscious mind.

Well, it's always listening, always eavesdropping.

It doesn't deal in sarcasm or subtext.

It just hears you.

It hears your words and takes them as directions.

So when I changed my inner script, replacing I have to with I choose to, everything softened, I replaced I should with I get to.

The pause didn't slow me down.

It recalibrated my power.

So here are some key lessons from the last few days.

Lesson one.

Overdoing is avoidance.

The busier you are, the harder it is to hear what your heart actually needs.

And doing too much can be just as numbing as procrastination.

It's a compensation strategy.

It's another way to to avoid being enough to avoid success.

Lesson two Words carry energy.

Say I have to out loud.

Feel it.

It contracts.

Now try I get to and notice how your shoulders drop, how possibility opens up.

That's your system recalibrating in real time.

And lesson three Slow is strategic.

When you take time to align your language before you act, things start to flow.

Aligning your language, your intention, your energy.

That's not just personal.

It's leadership, creativity, and business brilliance in motion.

So here's my invitation for you this week.

Take one evening or even a full day and make it your personal Power Pause.

No screens, no to do list, no background noise, just space.

Then listen.

What words are you whispering to yourself throughout the day?

Do they lift you or drain you?

Try swapping I need to for I choose to and see what happens.

That one linguistic shift could change your entire state.

And if those words are too unkind, then just say stop.

Now.

This whole experience, the pause, the shift in energy, the return to clarity, it inspired something beautiful.

It's called the Power Pause Weekend and it's a two part online retreat designed to help you realign with reset and rebuild your creative rhythm.

We'll explore the linguistic of energy and intention, reframe the words that quietly run your life, and help you walk into your next chapter with calm certainty.

If your nervous system's been running on overdrive, if you've been craving clarity, not just productivity, then this is your sign.

Join me at choosinghappy Space Forward slash powerpause.

I'll put the link in the show Notes Two sessions.

One Pause.

A total energetic reset before you move into your next season.

And that's the kind of clarity the Power Pause gives you.

Not by doing, but by listening and allowing you to prepare for something new.

And if this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who's been running on empty and tag hoosinghappypodcast in your socials and tell me in your life if you're ready to pause.

And remember, choosing Happy isn't about forced positivity.

It's about awareness.

Moment by moment, word by word.

Until next time, take a breath and keep choosing Happy.

Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this week's episode.

If you enjoyed it or think it would be valuable to others, please do share.

And if you really enjoyed it, please leave me a review.

It really helps the podcast.

All of the links are in the show notes, and I look forward to seeing you next week on the Choosing Happy Podcast.