The Two-Minute Pause That Saved My Sanity
(And How to Use It Yourself)
The other day, everything felt loud. WAY TOO LOUD!
The kids were running wild, chalk dust everywhere, shoes where they shouldn’t be, voices getting louder by the second. I was overstimulated, out of patience, and teetering on the edge of snapping.
So I stepped away for two minutes.
I didn’t go far—just into the bathroom for a quick pause. It was the only place with a door I could close and a moment of quiet. (parents reading- you feeling me??)
And in that moment, I gave myself a mini Action Mapping session. And I created the exact template I followed and linked it to the bottom of this article.
Here’s what I did:
Step 1: Clarify
What’s my goal right now?
Not control. Not order.
Just: Be a loving parent.
ok…next,
Step 2: Collect
I’m overwhelmed.
I’m overstimulated.
I’m tired.
I’m craving calm.
Naming it helped me breathe again.
Then, I moved on to:
Step 3: Choose
What are my options?
Yelling felt tempting. But does that align with my goal of being a loving parent?
Nope.
So instead—I chose music and movement.
And moved on to the final step—
Step 4: Create
I made a coffee. Turned on the speaker. Invited the kids to help me clean while we danced it out.
It didn’t solve everything. But it shifted everything.
That’s the power of pausing with intention.
Not to escape.
But to reconnect.
I was reminded of this 90-second video by Chad Littlefield: Slow Down to Connect
It captures the same truth: connection begins the moment we pause long enough to choose it. HIGHLY recommend you give it a watch- it’s just a few minutes long.
So, if your days feel messy, overstimulating, or like you’re always on the edge…
You don’t need a perfect routine. You don’t need to be more disciplined.
You just need two minutes—and a way back to yourself.
P.S. I created a simple, printable version of the 2-Min Reset Map. If you’ve read this far, it’s yours, free.
👉 Click here to grab it.
Stick it to your mirror. Save it to your phone.
Let it be the tool that brings you back—right when you need it most. And let us know in the comments below when you get a chance to use it and what your experience is! I read every comment myself and can’t wait to hear!
Enjoy!
—Tamar