The Reset Button: Why You Don’t Need Fixing—You Need a Pause
Ever feel like you say the same thing over and over to your kids, but sometimes don’t take your own advice? Yep, me too. Many times, after something big, I tell the kids to take a few breaths and “press the reset button”.
There are days that start with the alarm going off and it’s easy to hit the ground running. Other days the alarm goes off, notifications ding, milk is spilled, shoes are lost, and everything seems much harder than necessary.
You think to yourself, come on, just get it together!
But, what if that’s not the answer?
What if you don’t need to power through for everything, organize more, or run on fumes?
What if what you really need is to press the reset button?
When Pushing Through Stops Working
Many moms are good at powering through.
We add another thing to the list. While checking things off we say “just one more thing”...yet somehow the list continues to grow. Then, when we don’t get rest and feel drained we assume the problem must be because we haven’t done enough.
We ask ourselves:
Why does this feel harder for me?
Why can everyone else seem to manage?
Why can’t I keep up?
This is usually where guilt creeps in. Exhaustion. And that quiet fear that maybe you’re doing life wrong.
Do you know what’s not said enough though? Sometimes pushing through is just survival mode.
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The Part Where Science Actually Helps
When your nervous system is constantly under stress, it signals to your brain that it’s time for protection mode.
Know what happens then? The part of your brain responsible for any sort of planning, emotional regulation, focus, decision making or general common sense seems to dwindle slowly like a dying battery. But hey, your body now thinks it’s keeping you safe!
So when life feels overwhelming and your brain feels foggy, it’s not a character flaw.
It’s purposefully designed biology.
Your brain isn’t asking for more effort. It’s asking for a pause.
That pause? That’s the reset button.
A Reset Isn’t Quitting
In the past few weeks I’ve seen not one, but two people I receive newsletters from state they were taking a pause from a very lucrative part of their business.
Not because it was failing, they were giving up, or they didn’t want to grow. It was the opposite in fact. Because that part of the business was thriving, which allowed them to pause.
A reset is what allows the story to continue. They can now take the time to enjoy their next moves, whenever they decide to proceed.
It’s that moment in a movie when everything feels like it’s falling apart…and then the music starts. The character stops to listen to themselves, takes a breath, and suddenly they see the next step clearly.
Real life can work in the same way.
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What Pressing the Reset Button Can Actually Look Like
A reset doesn’t have to be dramatic. It doesn’t require a weekend away or a perfectly planned self-care routine.
Sometimes a reset is:
Taking a few hours to do something you enjoy
Saying no to one thing, even if it’s a good thing
Going on a walk just because
Choosing rest before burnout forces it
Small pauses seem small, but create big change.
They tell your nervous system, We’re okay. They give your brain time to reboot, and make things feel more manageable.
The Part That Ties It All Together
You don’t need a new routine, to reinvent yourself, or “get your life together”.
You need to take your own advice and press the reset button.
The reset button isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of awareness. And it’s proof that you have achieved more than you are giving yourself credit for.
And once you press the reset button?
Your story keeps going.
Right where you left off—just a little clearer, a little more grounded, and a lot more supported.
Until next time, enjoy the journey!
Copyright Me Time 4 Mom, LLC
