The Sacred Pause:
Why I Built an App to Fix My Context-Switching Crisis

I was drowning in my own calendar.

As a design leader in the software industry, I found myself in a work setup where I did not have full control over my schedule. At least one day a week was full with back-to-back-to-back meetings without a single break. One meeting would require me to lead the conversation and give detailed feedback, and in the very next one, my best contribution would be to just listen and ask thoughtful questions.

Switching between these modes was hard. I was struggling to show up as my best self in the next meeting context. It was exhausting.

The "Shadow Calendar" Hack

Desperate for a solution, I put my designer hat on and analyzed the situation and looked for solutions. I realized that without an intentional transition I would not naturally switch modes and continue to be present in the next meeting in the same way as the previous one. I needed a reminder to switch as well as some self-coaching for specific meetings. I started creating what I called a "shadow calendar." I'd add a second calendar to my setup and create 1-minute events just before important meetings. The event title would be my coaching note to myself:

This gave me a notification just before each meeting with exactly the mindset I needed. It was a game-changer for recurring meetings, albeit a little manual.

The Mental Cost of Attention Switching

Every time we transition between tasks, our brains have to disengage, reorient, reload relevant information, and suppress interference from the previous task. This attention switching incurs mental and emotional costs.¹

But here's what's fascinating: neuroscience research shows that brief, intentional pauses (brief mindfulness meditations) can actually improve attention switching and reduce stress.²³

The Ancient Solution

This reminded me of the Hebrew word from the Psalms: Selah (סֶלָה). I remember learning about it as musical notation to pause and breathe.

As I looked into it more I found even deeper meaning. Modern scholarship discovered its function as a literary device—a transition marker that creates intentional pauses for reflection at crucial moments in the text. The word selah occurs 71 times across 39 psalms, 3 times in the poem of Habakkuk, and in two of the dead sea scrolls where it was spoken aloud as a statement of faith in times of distress.⁴

The psalms containing Selah share common themes of human frailty, divine sovereignty, and the cycles of sin, judgment, and redemption, suggesting that Selah functioned as a reflection point on these existential realities.⁴

What emerges is a picture of Selah as an ancient device for human flourishing: a reflective pause, a brief mindful meditation — silent or spoken — to process life's tensions and meditate on eternal hope.⁴

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind."

1 Peter 5:5-8⁵

When we as leaders engage in intentional pauses between meetings, we create opportunities for these Selah moments—recognizing both our stresses and God's sustaining presence. Peter takes it a step further and to actively bring our burdens before God. To let them go and cast them on him.

This act of casting our burdens requires the very humility that Peter describes, the same humility that makes us better leaders. It demands the alertness and mental clarity that improve our decision-making.

The sacred pause becomes not just preparation for the next meeting, but a moment to release mental and emotional overload while finding renewed strength through faith.

Building Selah: Automating the Sacred Pause

My shadow calendar hack echoed some aspects of Selah. But I found myself wanting to add notes for any event throughout my day—strategy sessions, design reviews, even focused work blocks. The manual process was helpful but limited.

The idea for the Selah app came from wanting to take the manual effort out of my shadow calendar system while adding features I desperately needed:

• Full-screen notifications to help me catch meeting starts during deep work (when I had do-not-disturb on)
• Flexible coaching notes that I could add to any calendar event—not just recurring meetings, but any moment in my day that could benefit from intentional preparation
• Mindfulness practice options like a breathing exercise to help with the actual transition, not just the mental preparation

The app does something beautifully simple. Before each calendar event, it gives me a full-screen notification with a gentle animation: "now" → "breathe." Then it shows me the upcoming meeting along with any coaching notes I've added (or gives me the option to add one on the spot), offers a 4-7-8 breathing exercise, and finally presents a button that reads "I'm ready."

Sixty to ninety seconds of intentional transition. But those seconds change everything.

The Science Behind the App

I already mentioned that brief mindfulness meditations help with attention switching and reduce stress.²

The 4-7-8 breathing pattern is a well-known technique for lowering stress. Its specific rhythm optimally activates the vagus nerve, triggering the parasympathetic nervous system. Within 60-90 seconds, heart rate variability improves, cortisol levels drop, and cognitive clarity increases.⁶

The coaching notes feature addresses what psychologists call "implementation intentions"—specific plans for anticipated situations. Research shows people who set these intentions are 2-3 times more likely to achieve their goals.⁷

The "I'm ready" button creates agency—the sense that you're choosing your response rather than being driven by circumstances. This activates the prefrontal cortex and strengthens intentional action.⁸

The Ripple Effects

The changes started small but compounded quickly.

I began arriving at meetings more present and prepared. Instead of rushing in with my mind still on the previous call, I was fully there. My questions got better. My listening improved. My stress levels dropped noticeably.

But the real surprise was how it affected my team. When leaders model presence and intentionality, it creates "emotional contagion"—the unconscious transmission of emotional states. My team started arriving more prepared too. Our meetings became more focused. The quality of our design work improved.

A New Paradigm for Leadership

What I've learned is that the crisis of modern leadership isn't really about time management or productivity hacks. It's about presence.

We've created work cultures that reward reactivity over reflection, speed over wisdom, efficiency over effectiveness. But the research is clear: leaders who can access their full cognitive and emotional resources consistently outperform those who operate in constant reactive mode.

The ancient practice of Selah, supported by modern neuroscience, offers a different way forward. Not slower, but more intentional. Not less productive, but more sustainable.

What's Next

Selah is still a work in progress. Although we're just getting started, I'm optimistic that this straightforward approach can benefit not only individual leaders but also help shape healthier organizational cultures. The technology serves as an entry point; what matters more is encouraging workplaces to acknowledge both our limitations and our potential—combining thoughtful self-reflection with practical, evidence-based methods.

At its core, Selah goes beyond simply pressing pause. It's about bringing greater presence and intention to the way we approach our work and manage our time. In a landscape where mindful leadership could make a real difference, even a small step like this feels meaningful.