Holding change without carrying it all
Learning to slow down and return to what grounds you
We are at that point in the year where you instinctively reach for something warmer in the morning without really thinking about it, where the air carries a different kind of stillness and the light begins to withdraw a little earlier each day, and although these shifts are noticeable, they rarely feel overwhelming because they unfold gradually and without urgency as we move into winter here in Cape Town.
When it comes to the rest of life and work in general, change could feel less gentle or contained.
Change, change, CHANGE.
What does that word do in your body, not just in your thoughts, but in a more immediate, physical sense?
If you pause for a moment, you might notice something subtle, like a slight tightening in your chest, your shoulders lifting slightly, your breath becoming a little more shallow, or even a quiet sense of restlessness that is difficult to name. These reactions are not dramatic, but they are meaningful, and they are often the body’s way of registering something before the mind has fully caught up.
From a psychological perspective, what matters here is not only the presence of change, but our capacity to hold it. As the volume of information, decisions, and expectations increases, so does cognitive load. The brain has limited processing capacity, and once that threshold is exceeded, efficiency drops, focus fragments, and emotional regulation requires more effort. The body then carries what the mind cannot fully process, which is why sustained periods of change often feel physical rather than purely mental.
In practice, this tends to show up in familiar ways: a sense of always being “on,” difficulty switching off even when there is time to rest, or fatigue that lingers longer than expected. These are not signs of poor coping, but indicators that the system has been operating at or near capacity for too long without sufficient recovery.
The solution is not necessarily more effort or better time management.
It is often a return to what is already stable.
Alongside everything that is changing, there are elements of your day that remain consistent. Your morning coffee. The way you begin your workday. The brief moments between tasks. These may seem insignificant, yet they play an important regulatory role. Familiarity reduces cognitive load and signals safety to the nervous system, which is why slowing down in these moments can have a meaningful impact on how you feel and function.
Practically, this might mean allowing yourself a few minutes of quiet before the day begins, sitting with your coffee without immediately reaching for your phone, or creating small intervals during the day where no new input is taken in. These are simple adjustments, but they give the system an opportunity to reset.
Dr Arthur C. Brooks, a Harvard Professor, speaks about creating tech-free zones and times, not as a luxury, but as a way to reduce input and allow attention to recover. This is less about discipline and more about protecting a finite resource.
There is also something useful to take from the way seasons change. There is no urgency in the process, yet everything still unfolds. The rhythm includes both movement and rest.
Perhaps the more useful question, then, is not how to keep up with change, but whether you have the capacity for what you are carrying right now.
And if the answer is no, the most effective response is often not to push through, but to slow down, even briefly, and allow your nervous system to recover.
Because while change will continue, it does not all need to be carried at once.
A small place to begin
If everything feels like it is shifting, it can help to come back to what is not.
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Sit with your morning coffee and notice it, rather than moving straight into your day
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Create short tech-free moments during your day, even if it’s just two or three minutes, where no new input comes in (this is probably my favourite one!)
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Keep one part of your routine consistent, whether it’s how you start or end your workday
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Pay attention to your body, especially after a demanding period, and respond to what it is asking for
These are small things, but they are within your control, and they offer something steady in the middle of change.
Sometimes that is enough to bring you back to a grounded place.