The Slow Bloom of Wisdom
Discover the power of stepping away: how mental breaks and mindful activities can clear the fog, restore clarity, and reconnect you with peace and joy.
Take a Mental Break
As creative beings, we can sometimes develop tunnel vision, focusing only on the one project we're working on. We push ourselves too far mentally, becoming irritated or frustrated when things aren't coming together the way we want them to or as quickly as we'd like. That's when you may find yourself in a state of confusion or feeling as though you're in a fog—a fog that leaves you feeling stuck and unable to find your way out.
When that happens, it may be a good time to take a Mental Break. Stop what you're working on, step away from it for a specific amount of time, and regroup. It doesn't matter whether it's five minutes or a full 24 hours; the amount of time is up to you.
Just step away.
Take some time to enjoy relaxing physical activities or creative pursuits that help calm your mind and spirit. Here are a few that work for me:
- Meditate in the morning, afternoon (midday or mid-shift), before bed, or whenever you feel mentally overwhelmed.
- Sit or lie in stillness and silence.
- Go for a walk.
- Do Pilates, yoga, or another form of gentle stretching or low-impact exercise.
- Read a chapter in a book (preferably a printed one, but an eBook works too).
- Journal.
- Pull out an adult coloring book and some colored pencils, and color.
- If you enjoy painting and have supplies on hand, pull out a canvas, brush, and paint, and let your imagination guide you without worrying about the end result.
- Start a puzzle (preferably a physical one rather than one on your phone).
- If you have the space, leave it out and work on it periodically.
- Do anything else that helps pull you away from the confusion you're feeling and lifts the mental fog.
The goal of any of these activities is to clear your mind of clutter, worries, and concerns so you emerge from your Mental Break with greater clarity. Once your mind is clear, you can take inventory of where you are—not only in your physical surroundings, which may be part of the problem, but also in your home life, career, goals, and the season of life you're currently experiencing.
With that inventory, you'll begin to identify what may be causing those feelings and develop a plan to bring your mind back to center. Taking a Mental Break is one way to rediscover your Peace and Joy. Reconnecting with both is essential to reducing stress, which, in turn, allows you to be more productive when you need to be.
Coming from Personal Experience
You know the saying, "With age comes wisdom?" I certainly do, and I can truly relate to it.
I turned 50 four years ago, and since then I've tried to allow Wisdom to pour into me naturally. Now, at 54, I can honestly say it has in many ways, and I believe it will continue to do so as I grow older.
So believe me when I say that I share this message about taking a Mental Break from personal experience—both from not doing it and from learning how.
Over the past few years, there were times when I experienced a cluttered mind, uncertainty about my next steps, and the fog that came with those feelings. When I found myself there, I knew I had to find ways to relax my mind and calm my spirit because, if I didn't, I would remain stuck.
That's when I began paying closer attention to my body and mind. I realized I had lost the ability to simply STOP and just BE.
I was so focused on finishing my first book and getting it published, while trying to build an online following (which, truthfully, I never really did, although I thought I needed to), that I just kept going and going while working an almost full-time job.
Talk about physical and mental stress—I was living it, and for a while, I didn't even realize it.
Finally, I became frustrated, wondering why I was doing everything "the experts" recommended but was still getting nowhere except becoming mentally and physically exhausted.
Then one day, my spirit simply said, "Stop."
So I did.
That's when I realized I'd always known how to relax and take both mental and physical breaks. Many of my favorite hobbies had been relaxation tools all along—I just hadn't recognized them as such until then.
With that revelation, I began seeing my hobbies as more than hobbies.
They became tools.
Tools that supported my journey back to the Peace I hadn't realized I'd lost.
Tools that helped me understand what my goals truly were and how to align my actions with them.
Tools that reminded me my pace is my pace—and if it takes me longer to reach a goal, that's okay because my Peace of mind matters more.
Since then, I no longer stay up late trying to force out an article that may never be read or worrying about posting every day simply because that's what we're "supposed" to do.
I no longer operate on anyone else's timeline but my own (which explains the occasional inconsistency with this newsletter—thank you for reading and subscribing; I truly appreciate it).
Even then, I adjust my own timeline when necessary without criticizing myself for doing so.
Now I spend time every week—and sometimes every day—doing the things that keep me grounded, relaxed, and at peace before, during, or after work and on weekends.
I've found that making these activities a consistent part of my life has made all the difference.
I have the tools to enjoy every activity I've listed above, and I've spent time doing all of them.
I call them my "Ways to NjoyPeace," and here's a little about each one.
My Ways to NjoyPeace
- I meditate at least twice a week. Never for very long (I'm not there yet), but usually for 10–15 minutes. I often spend time in stillness and silence before or afterward. On Sunday mornings, I take my time leaving the bedroom, enjoying a few quiet moments of peace before starting the day.
- I love Pilates and enjoy yoga, so I often blend the two into my morning stretching routine before work.
- I take short walks with purpose before work and longer, leisurely walks on my days off.
- I'm always reading at least one book. Although I don't read as often as I'd like and it sometimes takes me quite a while to finish one, I always come back to it and read a page or two.
- Journaling is something I do the least. However, I do keep a journal, and every now and then I pull it out to write down my thoughts.
- There was a time when I enjoyed adult coloring every day. A few years ago, I spent at least an hour coloring daily. While I don't devote that much time to it anymore, I still have all my supplies, and just the other day I started a new picture. It can be incredibly relaxing.
- The same is true of painting. When you're not trying to create the next masterpiece but simply painting for the joy of it, it becomes wonderfully relaxing. I took up abstract painting about eight years ago, bought supplies, and started painting at home. Now I have several works of "my art" displayed around the house, with many more stored away. Like adult coloring, I still pull everything out from time to time and let the brush guide me across the canvas.
- Puzzles! I've always loved them, although I hadn't completed a physical puzzle in years. I do enjoy puzzle apps on my phone and laptop because they help me relax. Still, I'd been thinking about adding traditional puzzles back into my collection of peaceful activities. Thanks to my son, who gave me a puzzle for Mother's Day, I now have a reason to buy a puzzle table and tackle all 1,500 pieces. Now that will take some time. 😊
How Clarity Unfolds
Taking a Mental Break to enjoy activities that promote relaxation, refresh the mind, and encourage creativity is one way of putting "Love for Self" first.
That is how Clarity unfolds.
You begin to understand yourself on a deeper level, narrow your focus to what you truly need and want, and see life from a more insightful perspective.
The next time you find yourself in a creative fog, try one of these activities and notice how you feel afterward.
The key is to do them intentionally. You can't rush through them and expect meaningful change. Instead, pour into yourself the same energy you pour into your creative work, your family, your job, and everything else that matters.
Make these moments part of your daily, weekly, or monthly routine.
You may be surprised by the difference they make.
My hope is that you discover your own "Ways to NjoyPeace," helping you see the Wisdom in slowing down, putting yourself first, and embracing a lasting "Love for Self."
Author's Note: This article is also published in my "Intimation Messages" newsletter on LinkedIn (July 4, 2026), "The Joydrop" on Substack (July 5, 2026), and in my "LYLT Expressions" publication on Medium (July 5, 2026).
—Glorious Raine
