The Power of Pausing: What Social Media Doesn’t Tell You About Rest

🌱 Why Pausing Feels So Hard

In healthcare, we’re trained to keep going. In life, we’re encouraged to keep up. And on social media, we’re shown a highlight reel that makes everyone else look like they’re thriving, organised, glowing, and somehow managing to drink green smoothies at 6am.

No wonder pausing feels like a luxury.

But here’s the truth I keep coming back to — in my coaching work, in ceremonies, and in my own life:

Pausing isn’t a luxury. It’s a lifeline.

🌿 Social Media Isn’t the Enemy — But It Is Noisy

I’m not anti‑social media. I love a good dog reel, and Boo (small Shih Tzu princess, professional knee warmer) is convinced she should have her own account.

But social media is loud. It’s fast. It’s designed to keep you scrolling, not breathing.

And when you’re already stretched thin — emotionally, physically, professionally — that noise can tip you from “just about coping” into “absolutely done.”

🌊 What Pausing Actually Looks Like

Pausing doesn’t have to be dramatic. You don’t need a retreat, a spa day, or a silent monastery (though if you find one in Devon, let me know).

Pausing can be:

• putting your phone down for five minutes

• stepping outside between tasks

• taking three slow breaths before you answer an email

• choosing not to respond instantly

• letting yourself do nothing for a moment

• walking Boo and noticing the sky instead of your notifications

These tiny pauses are like little tide pools — quiet pockets where you can reset.

🌼 Why Pausing Helps Nurses (and Everyone Else)

When you pause, even briefly, you give your nervous system a chance to settle. You think more clearly. You communicate more kindly. You make better decisions. You reconnect with yourself instead of reacting to everything around you.

And honestly? You remember you’re human.

🌾 A Gentle Invitation for This Week

Try one pause a day. Just one.

Put your phone down. Step away from the noise. Let the world wait for a moment.

The sea will still be there. Your to‑do list will still be there. And you’ll meet both with a steadier breath.

Why Nurses Need a New Kind of Support in 2026

If you stand on Dawlish seafront early enough, you’ll see the same thing I do most mornings: the tide doing its steady, ancient work. Coming in, going out, reshaping the shoreline a grain at a time. It’s a reminder that nothing stays still — not the sea, not life, and certainly not nursing.

And yet, so many nurses I work with tell me they feel stuck. Stuck in overwhelm. Stuck in guilt. Stuck in the feeling that they should be coping better.

Here’s the truth I wish someone had said to me years ago:

Nursing has changed. The world has changed. And the support we offer nurses needs to change too.

The Old Model Isn’t Working

For years, the message was: “Be resilient.” “Keep going.” “Look after yourself… but also do three extra shifts.”

Resilience became code for “cope with more.”

But resilience isn’t about carrying heavier loads. It’s about having the space, support, and skills to put the load down sometimes.

🌿 What Nurses Tell Me They Need Now

After coaching hundreds of nurses, students, and healthcare teams, I hear the same themes again and again:

• Time to breathe — even five minutes without feeling guilty.

• Permission to have boundaries — and not apologise for them.

• Support that’s human, not corporate — real conversations, not tick‑box wellbeing sessions.

• A place to talk honestly — about fear, frustration, grief, and joy.

• Tools that actually help — not another laminated poster about self‑care.

And honestly? They need someone in their corner. Someone who gets it. Someone who’s been there at 3am with a full bladder, an empty stomach, and a patient who needs everything right now.

🌊 Why I Started The Devon Coach

After 25 plus years in nursing and now working as a celebrant, I’ve seen the full spectrum of human experience — the beginnings, the endings, and everything in between. It’s taught me that people don’t thrive from being told to “be strong.” Its better when we find a way to be resourceful.

They thrive when they feel supported, understood, and valued.

Coaching gives nurses something they rarely get: a space that’s just for them.

A space to reflect. A space to grow. A space to remember who they are outside the uniform.

🌼 A New Kind of Support

This year, I’ll be sharing weekly blogs with gentle, practical tools to help you:

• feel more confident

• communicate more clearly

• set boundaries without guilt

• build emotional resilience

• reconnect with your purpose

• and find small moments of calm in the chaos

Think of it as a warm cuppa with someone who gets it.

And yes — Boo the dog will probably feature from time to time. She has a lot of opinions about wellbeing, most of which involve snacks and naps.

💛 If You’re Reading This…

You deserve support that meets the reality of nursing today. Not the nursing of ten years ago. Not the nursing of textbooks. The nursing you’re living right now.

And I’m here for that. Every week. Right here by the sea.