Rebel with a Pause

Finding wonders when we unplug for a moment

In a culture where rushing has become the default, Rebel with a Pause dares to suggest something radical: Stop. Breathe. Notice.

Sometimes the most powerful thing to do is: nothing at all.

The modern workplace often treats going fast as a virtue. But that rushing is dehumanising—and ineffective. It exhausts, burns out, and prevents deep thinking.

We are Ewen and Nadia, and we are gently developing Rebel with a Pause. This project explores how small pauses and moments of stillness can heal a draining work culture of ‘rushing’, open new possibilities and find true value.

Rebel with a Pause offers a counter-movement: to notice, listen deeply, and allow new ideas and healthier relationships to emerge. By embracing pausing, teams are more resilient, more thoughtful, more connected and ultimately more innovative and effective.

Rebel with a Pause is an invitation to resist the endless marathon of urgency and reclaim grounded, mindful time, presence, and imagination.

What if we gave ourselves and our teams permission to pause?

Every individual needs moments to relax, reflect, and let inspiration surface.
Each team benefits from shared pauses—moments to step out of the current, think together, and imagine new possibilities.
Every leader needs idle time to strategise with purpose, without distraction.

We need both fast and slow moments. Fast time to do and execute; slow time to pause and let great ideas simmer. When fast becomes constant, it’s no longer sustainable. Rushing kills ideas and leads to mistakes. It leaves no headspace for our full presence and fresh perspectives. And it takes a heavy toll on our health, creativity, and relationships. Even marathon runners need recovery time.

Choosing moments of pause creates balance: sometimes fast to get things done, sometimes slow to absorb, reflect, reconnect and reimagine.

Rebel with a Pause sessions

We are hosting a space to experiment with a slower pace of working, being, and relating.

In these sessions, you will:

Experience first-hand the magic of slowing down – through various formats
Reflect on your personal and collective relationship with rush and pause
Share doubts, aspirations, and insights on navigating a rush culture
Explore what becomes possible when we resist rushing and create room for clarity, strategy, and inspiration

Our sessions are not about productivity hacks or efficiency tricks. They are about rediscovering inner joy and wisdom in slowing down — a gentle yet powerful call to rebel against busyness and to recognise pauses not as wasted time, but as fertile ground where meaningful innovation takes root.

Imagine a team sitting quietly together for ten minutes before a brainstorming session—just noticing, thinking, and listening. Imagine a leader taking a full afternoon to step back from emails, letting a complex strategy unfold in their mind. These are the kinds of moments Rebel with a Pause is designed to cultivate.

What’s Next?

We are hosting our second Rebel with a Pause session on Thursday, January 15th (13:00-13:30 CET). This free session is just the beginning. Over time, Rebel with a Pause will grow into new ways of supporting the collectives and organisations we love working with.

For now, we invite you to join us in this experiment. Together, we’ll test what emerges when we stop rushing long enough to notice what’s truly needed.

Who We Are

Nadia von Holzen is a collaboration guide and facilitation sparring partner. As the founder of Learning Moments, she inspires and challenges people to create space — creatively — for healthier, more human, and happier ways of working and living.

LinkedIn | https://learning-moments.net/together-in-discovery/

Ewen Le Borgne is a process ‘agent provocateur’. His work with Process Change is to help and challenge everyone to develop their collaborative, facilitative, relational magic towards better human systems and/or the planet.

LinkedIn | http://processchange.net/