When your mind freezes, you’re not broken — you’re recalibrating. Here’s how I learned to honor that pause.
Yesterday, I froze.
Not in fear — but in feedback.
My brain whispered, “We’ve done enough for now.”
When I was younger, this happened all the time — but no one noticed. I was the student who finished early, the one who looked productive and prepared.
What others didn’t see were the invisible pauses between the doing — the moments of stillness that came after hyperfocus burned through my energy.
For years, I mistook those pauses for laziness or lack of discipline.
Now, I understand them as wisdom.
My nervous system knows when to rest — even when my calendar doesn’t.
During the summer, I prepare for my Fall and Spring courses so I can build margin into my semester. That margin becomes a gift — a grace space — that helps me move through the inevitable “freeze” moments without shame or panic.
When it happened this week, I didn’t spiral. I simply did the minimum, rested, and reminded myself:
I’m not broken.
Whether you’re a student, parent, professor, or entrepreneur — those quiet pauses aren’t signs of weakness. They’re signs that your body and brain are working with you, not against you.
Freeze isn’t failure.
It’s feedback.
And feedback is how we grow.
Watch the full reflection on YouTube:
I always knew I was different - I didn't care
Dr. Nichelle Dionne
Bridging Technology Expertise & Neurodivergence Strategies for Success
Let’s normalize rhythm over relentless motion.
