Her Next Chapters

99. Permission to Pause

• Christina Kohl

Share episode

Sometimes we all need permission to pause.

In today’s episode, I open up about a heavy couple of weeks — the kind that stopped my momentum completely. I skipped recording the podcast and sending my newsletter, and for the first time in a long time, I let myself just… stop. And here’s what happened: the world didn’t end.

That pause gave me clarity about how I want to move forward — including a big announcement: Her Next Chapters will now release episodes every other Wednesday. This shift gives me more breathing room to work on new projects behind the scenes and to bring you episodes that are thoughtful, intentional, and full of value.

If you’ve been feeling the weight of the world lately, this episode is your invitation to take a break too — to step back, breathe, and come back when you’re ready.

Learn more and sign up for the Career Reset Accelerator HERE

Grab the Free Strengths-First Resume Template - it's perfect for anyone in career transitions, whether with a long career gap, a career pivot, or just ready for a change.

  • Want to chat about your career goals? Schedule a free call HERE.
  • Send me an email ---> christina@hernextchapters.com
  • Connect with me on LinkedIn ---> www.linkedin.com/in/kohlchristina






Christina Kohl:

Hi and welcome to Her Next Chapter's podcast. I'm your host, Christina Kohl. I'm a mom of three and soon to be an empty nester. I'm also a certified HR pro who restarted my career after being a stay-at-home mom for over a decade. I created this podcast to connect with moms who have an empty nest on the horizon and are wanting to redefine their identity outside of motherhood, which might include a job search. On this show, we'll have raw conversations about our ever-changing roles as moms. We'll hear from women who restarted their careers and share tips for a job search after a career break. So if that's you, you're in the right place. Friend, let's get started.

Christina Kohl:

Hi, friends, I want to start this episode by just saying, if life feels heavy right now, you are not alone. There has been so much happening in the world lately, new stories that are heartbreaking, unsettling and exhausting, and sometimes, even when these things aren't directly affecting us, they affect us deeply. So last week I had to take a pause. I skipped recording the podcast, I skipped sending out my newsletter and guess what? The world didn't end. I've only done that one other time since I've started this podcast and, honestly, I always feel a little uncomfortable when I step back. There's that little voice that says you should be consistent, you should show up, you should power through. But this time I gave myself permission to do what I needed to pause, to reset. I gave myself permission to do what I needed to pause, to reset and to take care of myself first.

Christina Kohl:

Part of what made this pause necessary was all of the news cycle, the noise I was letting in, and if you're listening in real time, this episode was just a couple weeks after the Charlie Kirk assassination. The same day, there was a school shooting in Evergreen, Colorado, which is about 20, 25 miles or so from where I live so in my extended community, if you will and all the other things that have been going on the news. It's not just those. It just seems like we're bombarded with all this scary, heavy, negative things, very heavy negative things, and I was caught in the social media echo chamber hearing every detail, every opinion, every hot take, and I was trying to stay informed and trying to see multiple views on all these different issues and trying to understand. But it just got overwhelming and started to affect my mental health.

Christina Kohl:

So I decided to do something simple but powerful. I took an intentional break from all of it for a full day no posting, no scrolling, no consuming everyone else's thoughts about what was happening in the world. I shut it all off and, honestly, it felt like I could breathe again. I got back to my own life instead of living in the heaviness of the news cycle. Now I'm not saying to close your eyes and ears and pretend nothing else is happening.

Christina Kohl:

What I'm doing now, now that I'm turning back in, I'm doing it more mindfully, in small, limited doses. I check the news once or twice a day, not every hour. I choose when to scroll instead of letting it choose for me, and that's helping me stay grounded while still being informed. So if you are feeling caught up in that social media, the echo chamber of all the things and everyone's weighing in, all their opinions and more ideas and facts and everything, and just even just talking about it, I feel like my shoulders are getting tense again. Blood pressure is probably rising. Take a break, just take a break, and even if it's just for a few hours off social media or a single day without news alerts, and notice what happens in your body and mind, you might be surprised how much space it creates to actually hear yourself think again. And this break reminded me that I get to choose how much noise I let in, and so do you. You don't have to consume every headline or read every opinion to be a caring and thoughtful person. Sometimes the most caring thing you can do is protect your own mental health so you can keep showing up for what matters most. Protect your own mental health so you can keep showing up for what matters most For me.

Christina Kohl:

That pause gave me some clarity. I want to make a little more breathing room, not just for me, but so I can keep showing up here with the kind of energy and intention you deserve. So, going forward, her next chapters will shift from a weekly podcast to a bi-weekly one. That means new episodes every other Wednesday. This change gives me space to work on some exciting projects behind the scenes. I can't wait to share them with you. And it ensures that every episode I bring is thoughtful and valuable, not something I rush out just to stay on schedule. Valuable, not something I rush out just to stay on schedule.

Christina Kohl:

So, normalizing the pause, I want to give you that permission too. Whether it's your job search, your to-do list, your social media feed or the constant mental load of caring for everyone else, it's okay to set it down for a minute. Taking a break doesn't mean you've failed. It means you're human. Welcome to the club.

Christina Kohl:

So here's what I noticed after I let myself pause my shoulders dropped about two inches, no kidding. I actually had space to feel my feelings instead of rushing past them, and I remember that I can choose how and when to re-engage instead of running on autopilot. And so I ask you where do you need to pause? Where can you give yourself permission to stop doing all the things and just breathe? Take that break, even if it's five minutes to sit in silence, even if it's taking a day off from scrolling on social media, even if it's one skip chore or obligation, and when you're ready, you'll come back, maybe with more clarity, maybe with more energy and maybe with a new perspective.

Christina Kohl:

And I'll be right here every other Wednesday to keep cheering you on as you design your next chapter. Let's keep in touch. You can always find me on LinkedIn, and if you aren't already receiving my newsletters, just shoot me an email at christina at her next chapterscom and I'll add you to the email list, so you'll won't you won't miss a thing. All right, friends, have a great week and I'll talk to you in a couple of weeks. Thank you so much for listening today. I hope this episode hit home for you and, if you haven't already, be sure to connect with me on LinkedIn and say hello so I can personally thank you for listening. Until next time, remember, your story is uniquely your own, and your next chapters are ready to begin.