Permission to Pause

Don't Rush to Rested: Another Way We Push Through Why rest is a lifelong practice and how to let go of grind cultureSHOWNOTES I don’t know about you, but some types of rest leave me feeling more alive and some types of relaxation leave me feeling actually more depleted. I’ve been contemplating this and share my recent insights today that are helping me keep steering, unrushed and unpressured,...

(This episode contains a few minutes longer than normal life update, if you’re not interested, scroll to the Time Stamps and get to the main content!) What if the most uncomfortable part of a breathing exercise could teach you something valuable about the way you live? In this episode, I share how a simple box breathing practice led me to reflect on my relationship with rest, pauses, productivity,...

This is one of my and my clients' favorite meditations. And one of the most popular podcast episodes from Season 1. For the woman who is in a season of giving and could use a few minutes to herself, to receive, let this be a nourishing pit-stop. I find a little goes a long way when you allow it to be enough for now. Connect with Me on Instagram https://instagram.com/meaganhubbardcoaching DM or...

Who do you admire more? The girl who looks like she's doing it all and got it all together? (But you don' t know how she does it) Or the girl who looks like she's doing pretty dang good, but you know she's not doing it all, and that it's on purpose? For me, it has started to be the latter. Let's look BTS of how not doing it all can sometimes look like "doing it all,&qu...

This week I have worked more than usual shifts at the hospital. I thought the easiest way to share a valuable podcast would be to still record a 5 min episode rather than the usual length. Then I remembered the series I did last year that contains some of my most downloaded episodes. And since I don't believe anymore that things "take time," what a better way to share by example than...

If personal growth feels exciting and exhausting right now, this episode is for you. I’m sharing the mindset shifts and reflective questions I use when I feel overwhelmed by all the things I could be working on.  You might be surprised at how much it actually isn’t a problem and how much of the solution is to celebrate! Timestamps (00:00) Welcome and guided pause (01:17) Why personal growth can fe...

What if I challenged you to consider that “It just takes time” is a false statement? That we’ve had a tendency to give time alone way too much credit for our wins or our complaints? Is the idea that “things don’t take time” a second-nature or a curious new mindset for your brain? I hope this is as exciting for you to explore as it has been for me! So, if it doesn’t take time, let’s open a conversa...

Are you going into or coming out of Spring Break? Are you starting a new job or getting ready for a child to graduate? Did you just buy a house? In case like me, and you forgot, this is a transition. And transitions are often challenges to our brains. But transitions don’t have to be all or nothing. They can be hard and beautiful, uncomfortable and meaningful. You're not starting from scratch,...

I had a surprising realization while reflecting on overwhelm. I imagined what it would be like if overwhelm suddenly disappeared and... the result wasn’t what I expected. Instead of immediate calm and clarity, I noticed a subtle sense of panic and wondered why. It was so interesting! I'm excited to share what I discovered with you. Timestamps (00:00) Intro and grounding breath (01:05) What I e...

This week’s quote is “Be gentle to yourself, love yourself, even when you’re not yourself.” -Kirsten Hill I come to you for this episode mores casual than usual: sans makeup and still in my athleisure clothes. I share that this week has had more moments of feeling low energy and down than I had expected and one way I have coped and continued to show up while decreasing self-judgment also allowing...

Meeting yourself or someone else where they’re at is a shift within you that bridges a gap in interactions with anyone, and even close relationships or yourself. You’ll see your relationships deepen, your confidence strengthen, and your inner critic soften. Timestamps (00:00) Grounding breath and introduction to Episode 13 (01:31) What it means to meet people where they are at (04:04) Story exampl...

Hard days happen. You can’t always control your first thought or reaction, but you can create space to respond with more calm and self-compassion. Every moment is new, and even small pauses can help loosen the mental and emotional knots that keep us stuck. You are allowed to feel discomfort without making it a problem. Timestamps (00:00) Grounding breaths and welcome, topic introduction (01:04) A...

Certainty and uncertainty initially seem complete opposites only, in competition. But they’re meant to often work together in ways that bring vitality to our lives. Certainty can allow us to more forward with purpose, patterns, and presence. Uncertainty invites new and creative perspectives, play, and permission. Let’s look into why both are important to a lived life that is a “story worth telling...

My youngest's school is celebrating an anniversary year. They have made t-shirts with the slogan "Honor the past, explore the future." Honoring the past is exactly what I want to talk to you about today as we step into a new year, the proverbial time to explore and plan our near futures. Take this review process that starts with celebrating wins and apply it to any time you are evalu...

Our amazing brains often do this thing where, left unchallenged, they think that doing “enough” actually means doing everything possible, the hard route, the grandest option. But the small, seemingly invisible things are always working. And when “enough” gets you to where you want to go, even though it’s less than 100%, it becomes 100% enough, even if just for this moment. And this is soil for sel...

Here on Permission to Pause this week, I am excited to introduce you to Meagan Pinckney, the Goal Getter Girl. We talk about goals, making them personalized and meaningful for you right now, and feeling success all along the way even if your goal is to do what you are already doing and just acknowledging that you are already being who you want to be. No extremes required. Because if your life does...

After beginning to introduce the Five P’s framework this season, I realized that a 6th P, purpose, is the foundation that ties every other P together—permission, play, patterns, presence, and perspective. When we understand the “why” behind what we do, we can align our energy, choose our yes’s and no’s more intentionally, and feel more at peace in our routines and relationships. Purpose doesn’t ha...

Breathing is usually automatic, but it can be intentionally used as a powerful tool to calm your nervous system. One particularly practical and useful time to use this is when eating. Taking even just 2 minutes can remind your brain that you are safe, it's ok to slow down, and escort your body from a fight or flight to rest and digest state, ensuring that your body receives more nourishment fr...

This week I want to bring into the light the invisible rhythms that shape our days and how to jumpstart intentionally build habits that actually energize and sustain you. Even if you don’t think you have routine patterns, you do. There’s a 3 step process that I will introduce so you can move in the direction of patterns that bring rest, energy, and momentum rather than stress or stagnation. Patter...

I've thought before that play was mostly for children, to entertain them, but it isn't. It’s how our brains love to learn, grow, and create. When we bring curiosity and playfulness into our adult lives, things that once felt heavy than they need to become lighter. Whether it’s chores, relationships, or self-development, approaching them with a sense of play opens new doors of creativity an...

 In this episode of Permission to Pause , we continue touching on the 5 P’s. This week is “Perspective.” Perspective is how you interpret and show up in your life. Shifting your perspective helps you move from feeling stuck to seeing new possibilities. There’s no way to see everything, but you can see more than your first impression. I share 2 powerful prompts to guide you into new perspectives an...

Listen in for a dive on the second “P” of my framework— presence . We’ll talk about what it really means to be present in both joyful and challenging moments, how simple practices can help you ground yourself, and why presence is the key to peace, courage, and confidence.  I share one of my favorite mindful eating stories that completely shifted how I approach food and satisfaction. And I invite y...

I’m so happy to be back! In this episode, I’m kicking off my Five P’s framework with the very first “P”: Permission. Permission is more than just saying yes or no—it’s about building self-trust, allowing yourself to pivot, change your mind, rest, or even eat ice cream for dinner when life calls for it (Yes, I have a story about that!). I share story examples of how self-permission opens the door t...

Season 2 of Permission to Pause is nearly here! I’m Meagan Hubbard—wife, mom of four, health and life coach, mindfulness trainer, and labor and delivery nurse. I’m back and ready to walk beside you through life’s ups and downs with the same care and encouragement I’ve offered women in labor over many years. This season of invites you to weave more breathing room and aliveness into your daily rhyth...

Have you ever felt like adulting is only about responsibility, and child-like fun is much less available? While adulthood does bring along with it a greater level of responsibility, and parenthood brings along others to consider, I still think we may be taking ourselves too seriously too often. A scribbled note from my daughter on my to-do list some years ago reminded me of this. Since then I have...