I was hanging out with a ten friends last Saturday, chatting over a pot of tea in my friend’s living room. Someone posed the question, “how are you growing right now?” And the resistant felt in the room was palpable. People kind of stalled and the chatty room got sort of quiet. Someone finally said, “honestly, I’m really trying not to grow right now.” The room sighed in relief, and a murmur of agreement filled the air.

What then ensued was a conversation around how everyone was longing for a stint of normal life. For a season of routines, space, and dare I say, time to be bored. The reasons varied among the group. For some it was a longing for a pause after a particularly busy work season, for another it was wanting peace after a big year of growth through grief, for others it was wanting more space for the sweetness of little moments and gratitude for what they have.

And this isn’t unique to my group of girlfriends.

I’ve noticed the past two weeks a majority of my coaching sessions center around a feeling of overwhelm, burnout, or a longing for a pause. If you’re feeling shades of this, you are definitely in good company.

There can be such a joy in normalcy. And, it can be hard to trust and ease into. Allowing yourself to accept the quiet times is truly growth in itself. As we settle into the new season, I encourage you to find some to value recovery, routine, and pause, if that’s what’s calling to you.