Sometimes, you just need to press pause.
When was the last time you actually just… stayed still? We asked several busy UAE-based professionals who even shared their exhausting schedules, like Pavni Jhulka, a corporate professional. Her past month? A whirlwind of meetings, deadlines, and international travel. Stillness isn’t in her vocabulary, she admits. Even off the clock, Jhulka juggles tasks. "My mother complains I can't hold a conversation still – I’ll be rearranging magnets, dusting... or just doing anything. People always tell me that my restless energy makes them anxious.”
On the other hand, Theodora Bryant, an Abu Dhabi-based entrepreneur reveals she makes it a point to catch at least 30 minutes of peace on the weekends after a hectic week, while just sitting on the balcony and listening to music.
Staying quiet and still in a world that compels you to keep moving isn’t easy. If you aren’t rushing, you aren’t conquering, so we believe.
Psychologists explain that this need for stillness isn't about laziness – it's essential for our well-being.
‘An antidote for our restless minds’
Dubai-based psychologist Rebecca Carter explains, “There are times in our life that require movement and action, while at other times the best thing we can do is get really still and really present.” The magic about stillness is that it is always within our reach, she says, no matter where we are, or what we are going through. When we’re still, we return to a state where it’s easier to tap into wisdom, insight and self-reflection. “Stillness creates the environment in which we can connect with our inner selves that exists, beyond our difficult thoughts or emotions,” she says. It’s an ‘antidote’ for our restless minds and body, she explains.
There are times in our life that require movement and action, while at other times the best thing we can do is get really still and really present. Stillness creates the environment in which we can connect with our inner selves that exists, beyond our difficult thoughts or emotions.
Most of us are overworked, overwhelmed and overstimulated, adds Carter. “Stillness creates space for the mind to rest and recharge the body. Contrary to the belief that we must do more to live happier and healthier lives, stillness requires space, present moment awareness, intention and just doing less.” Be it solitude, moments of doing nothing or intentional breath work, still offers what feels like a deep releasing exhale of tension that lives in the body and mind, adds Carter.
‘A key to the happy place’
Some find peace in meditation. Many find solace in Nature. Cecilia Carradine, an Abu Dhabi-based sales professional enjoys just standing by the canal outside her home, at the end of a long day. The busy street with people walking dogs and children rollerblading doesn't bother her. Carradine says, “I need that time, and being around water just soothes me. I don’t think about the difficult workday; I just think of happier things, like my family.” These moments of stillness allow her to relive good memories. “It’s a feeling of relaxation, joy and the realisation that I’m alright. This emotion is what clears my mind of all the deadlines, to-do tasks, checklists, and work anxieties,” she says.
It’s what the younger generation calls the ‘happy place’, she adds.
Clearing the mental clutter
The body and the mind are both relaxed, when you stay still. As Elise James, an Abu Dhabi-based psychologist explains, stillness, whether through meditation, spending time in Nature, or simply taking a few deep breaths, activates the body's relaxation response. Your stress levels ebb along with cortisol, the stress hormones and the feeling of calm emerges. “Constant stimulation creates mental clutter, making it difficult to concentrate. Stillness allows the brain to enter a state of quiet alertness. This enhances our ability to focus on the present moment, filter out distractions, and improve our overall attention span,” she says.
It’s also a way of fostering acceptance around ‘what is’ and letting go of what we can’t control, adds Carter. “It also allows us to be more mindful and act from a place of values versus being reactive,” she says.
The subconscious mind is programmed to help us stay on top of our game, and as a result, it will create internal chatter to help us get more things done. So we need to reprogramme the subconscious through positive affirmations and visualisations...
Sarmistha Mitra, holistic health expert, founder and CEO The Wellbeing Sanctuary, Dubai explains that we have to 'to train ourselves' to quieten the internal chatter. "The subconscious mind is programmed to help us stay on top of our game, and as a result, it will create internal chatter to help us get more things done," she says. So we need to craft a routine that allows subconscious reprogamming, through positive affirmations.
Stepping out of the emotional currents
Don’t get swept away by your emotions.
Dubai-based Shalini Singh, a homemaker concurs. Towards the end of the pandemic, her nerves were frayed and she felt on edge, as she had been raising two toddlers during the lockdown. “I was so tired; nothing seemed to slow down. So one day, I had a sudden emotional outburst with my husband, over something as mundane as the wrong bed covers. I started crying, and left the house for a while to take a walk. It was the first semblance of me-time that I had had,” she explains. It was a rare moment of quiet. She could step back from a precipice, she said. And so, she came home calmer, apologised to her husband and told him what was on her mind.
As James says, stepping back for a while, creates a sense of ‘emotional agility’. “Taking a step back allows us to see the bigger picture and consider different perspectives before reacting. It also allows us to be more aware of our emotions, identifying the triggers and physical sensations associated with them,” she says. When you are allowed the space to observe your emotions without judgement, the intensity reduces. You gain control and look for more healthy coping mechanisms, she says.
How can you find this stillness?
What does stillness look like in your life, running between meeting rooms, frantically typing out mails while checking off a grocery list mentally? You need to find these stillness moments for yourself in the noise, as psychologists say. It doesn’t mean you just sit still and don’t move. For everyone, it's different. For example, Rebecca Rees, the founder of Rebecomms, a public relations and media relations consultancy Dubai, finds her 'stillness' through meditation music every night. "It sends me off to sleep beautifully. I only discovered this relatively recently after a terrible bout of anxiety and depression. The music was part of my way of getting over this, and I am still doing it now," she says. On the other hand, Stephen King, a Dubai-based lecturer, finds this calm and stillness in playing the saxophone on some days. “It just reminds me of all my successes and strengthens my resolve against all the downs in life," he says.
I listen to meditation music every night when I go to bed. It sends me off to sleep beautifully. I only discovered this relatively recently after a terrible bout of anxiety and depression. Music was part of my way of getting over this, and I am still doing it now...
Here’s how you can practise it, explains James.
• Transform your walk: Instead of rushing from point A to B, pause occasionally. Be still, enjoy the sun warming your skin, look at the flowers. When you start walking again, slow down. Savour the sensation of your foot connecting with the ground, become aware of your posture and movement.
• Before you react: Hold on a beat before hitting reply or picking up the phone. Notice the thoughts swirling in your head about this communication. Acknowledge them all – excitement, annoyance, curiosity – without judgment. This stillness isn't about changing your response, it's about connecting with the experience of communication before diving in.
• Make stillness a habit. Treat stillness like an important appointment. Block out 10 to 15 minutes in your calendar for meditation, a walk, or simply quiet time.
• Go for a walk in a park, sit by a stream, or simply gaze at the trees. Immersing yourself in Nature can be a powerful way to find peace and quiet the mind.
Remember, stillness isn't about emptying your mind completely. It's about creating space for calm, focus, and self-awareness, she says.
