In a Divisive World There’s Power of The Pause: Calm Anxiety

The divisiveness is loud right now.

And what I miss is simple: I miss the days when we could have a conversation with opposing views and still feel like it was acceptable to be human with each other. No pressure to convince. No need to “win.” No storyline that says, “I’m right and you’re wrong.”

I’ve had this conversation a lot lately — especially with my kids and with friends. And here’s where I land:

I can’t change the divisiveness on a national level.

I can’t control what’s going on “out there.”

But I can be the change in my micro-community.

I can show love, respect, kindness, and understand we may not agree. I can listen without trying to fix, correct, or convert. And I can practice something that sounds small—but changes everything:

The power of pause.

Because I don’t think the anxiety we’re all feeling is only about the issues. I think it’s also about what our nervous systems have been trained to do.

Technology trained us to react.

The pings. The dings. The buzzes. The beeps. The constant alerts designed to grab our attention. Over time, our bodies start living like everything is urgent… and that’s a recipe for anxiety.

So here’s my personal goal right now:

Pause to respond, not react.

And I’ve learned this about myself — when I feel frustration rising, that’s my cue. It’s a signal that I’m out of alignment. That’s my reminder to stop, breathe, and get present before I say something I don’t mean or carry someone else’s chaos into my day.

If you want the simple 60-second reset I use in real time (and how I bring conversations back to love and respect even when we disagree), message me the word PAUSE, and I’ll send Part 2.

This isn’t about being passive. It’s about being powerful—because a calm nervous system makes better decisions than a triggered one.

And here’s what I want to normalize again:

We don’t have to agree to be kind.

Our opinions are shaped by the stories we’ve lived.

Different isn’t dangerous.

I can’t fix everything. But I can choose who I am in the middle of it.

Love in my home.

Respect in my conversations.

Calm in the storm.

That’s Living LIT — one pause at a time.

P.S. If this idea of pausing before reacting resonates with you, the Y-Not Be LIT Workshop is where we practice this in real life — together. It’s a 6-week, in-person experience designed to help you slow down, reconnect, and respond with intention. If you want more of this, I’d love to have you join us.