Ripple Post 4: The Power of a Pause

“A pause isn’t the absence of care. It’s the foundation of it.” – Mary Coughlin

We live in a world that glorifies speed.
Checklists. Metrics. Constant motion.

But healing doesn’t move at the speed of urgency.
It moves at the speed of presence—and presence requires pause.

A pause isn’t just a break.
It’s a boundary, a breath, a bridge.

It’s the moment between input and response.
Between overwhelm and intention.
Between “what’s happening to me” and “how will I respond?”

In trauma-informed care, the pause is everything.

Pausing in the NICU

In the NICU, it can feel like there’s no time to slow down. But presence doesn’t require a long break.
Just a breath. A moment of attunement. A second of intention.

• A nurse notices her own heart rate before approaching a baby’s incubator

• A team pauses for a centering breath before family rounds

• A parent steps back from the bedside—not from disconnection, but from regulation

Trauma-Informed Developmental Care invites us to weave pausing into practice:

• Before interventions

• After difficult conversations

• In the sacred moments between

These pauses aren’t just clinical courtesy.
They are regulatory acts—for babies, families, and clinicians alike.

Caring Science: A Pause as Sacred Space

Jean Watson reminds us that healing unfolds in the relational field—not just through what we do, but through how we are with each other.

A pause becomes:

• A reverent silence

• A return to breath

• A space where nothing is said, but everything is felt

This is where presence deepens.
And where healing begins to root.

BUFFER: Pause as a Practice of Leadership

Within the BUFFER framework, the pause allows us to:

• Belong: Who am I in this moment? Who is with me?

• Understand: What’s really happening beneath the surface?

• Forgive: Can I meet this moment without judgment?

• Framework: What supports or practices can hold me here?

• Equanimity: Can I find steadiness in uncertainty?

• Respect: What does dignity require of me in this moment?

A pause is not weakness. It’s wisdom.

It’s the skill that allows us to lead without reacting.
To speak without wounding.
To care without collapsing.

A Reflection to Carry With You

Where in your life are you craving a pause right now?
What might shift if you gave yourself even 30 seconds to breathe, reflect, or reset?

Try it now.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Begin again.

Call to Action: Ground Into a Practice

As part of this series, I’ve created a 2-minute Guided Pause—a soft, simple recording you can return to anytime your nervous system needs a reset.

🧘‍♀️ Download the Pause Practice: HERE
🎧 Listen on your break. In your car. Before your shift. With your team.

Presence lives here.

Holding space for your breath,
Mary

P.S.: If this reflection stirred something in you—if you’re longing to not just practice presence, but lead from it—I’d love to invite you to explore the TIP 2.0 Certificate Program.

It’s a powerful next step for clinicians, educators, and changemakers ready to embody trauma-informed care in deeper, more sustainable ways.
We’ll explore science, soul, and skill—together.

✨ Learn more or enroll here

You don’t have to do it all.
You just have to begin.
Presence will take you the rest of the way.