Get to know PRZED CHWILĄ

What is PRZED CHWILĄ?

PRZED CHWILĄ is an original model for working with everyday stress and tension.

It is based on a simple mechanism: some of the body's reactions begin automatically, before they are consciously recognised. When you turn your attention to the first change, you begin to notice what was previously happening in the background.

The model helps you notice this first change in your body, thoughts or behaviour and get to know your own way of responding.

It does not tell you what to feel or what to do. It starts with noticing.

PRZED CHWILĄ is educational and intended for self-observation. It is not therapy, treatment, diagnosis or psychological support.

How can you recognise that you are living in a rush?

Being in a rush does not always mean physically running. You can be sitting still and yet experience tension, urgency and a flood of thoughts.

In PRZED CHWILĄ, being in a rush describes a way of functioning in which changes in your body, thoughts or behaviour happen so quickly that you stop noticing them.

You are constantly in a struggle — even everyday matters start to feel like obstacles to overcome.

There is always something you have to do — as you finish one task, you already feel the pressure of the next.

New tasks appear in your mind — one thought triggers another. This may involve planning, analysing, anticipating, judging or revisiting what has already happened.

These reactions can occur during an ordinary, demanding day. The aim is not to judge them or change them immediately.

First, try to notice:

What comes first for me — a change in my body, thoughts or behaviour?

What does it mean to notice your own reactions?

Most advice starts with what you should do: stop, calm down, change your thinking or behave differently.

PRZED CHWILĄ starts one step earlier — with noticing what has already happened within you.

Noticing means briefly and consciously registering the first change in your body, thoughts or behaviour. You do not need to know straight away why it appeared or what it means.

First, you name a fact:

‘My jaw is tightening.’

‘I am having the thought that I will not make it in time.’

‘I am starting to speak faster.’

What happens in the brain at that point?

The brain constantly receives and integrates information from the body and its surroundings. Many related reactions begin automatically and may remain outside conscious attention for some time.

When you direct your attention to a change and try to name it, it becomes available for conscious recognition. You engage processes involved in attention, observing your own state and putting experience into words.

Research on naming emotions suggests that this may be accompanied by greater engagement of prefrontal regions and reduced amygdala reactivity.

This does not mean that noticing alone immediately stops stress or calms the body. It does, however, show that consciously recognising an experience is not the same as automatically following a reaction.

In PRZED CHWILĄ, the aim at this stage is not yet to change or calm down. The first step is simply to recognise:

‘This happened to me a moment ago.’

What is the ‘a moment ago’ moment?

The ‘a moment ago’ moment occurs when you consciously notice the first change in your body, thoughts or behaviour that is available to your awareness.

‘First’ does not mean the body's earliest measurable reaction. It means the earliest change you can recognise in yourself in that situation.

You may notice it at the start of stress or tension. You may also notice it later, when the reaction has already been going on for some time but was previously outside your attention.

For example, you realise that you are speaking faster. You then return to what happened before: a thought appeared, your breathing changed or your shoulders tightened.

You are not looking for a hidden cause or judging your reaction. You are simply trying to catch its nearest beginning that is available to your awareness.

This is the moment we call:

‘A moment ago’ — PRZED CHWILĄ.

How does the PRZED CHWILĄ model work?

PRZED CHWILĄ takes you from noticing a single change towards a better understanding of your own way of responding.

1. I catch the beginning of the rush

I notice the first change in my body, thoughts or behaviour that is available to me. At this stage, I do not try to stop, explain or judge it.

2. I orient myself

I check where I am in the rush and what is affecting me right now. I take into account the situation, tension, thoughts, things that matter to me and my current workload.

3. I get to know myself

By repeatedly returning to similar moments, I may start to notice recurring patterns. I see the situations in which I react more quickly, what puts pressure on me, what resources I have and what possibilities are currently available to me.

These three stages are not intended for judging or diagnosing yourself. They organise observation:

First I notice. Then I orient myself. Over time, I get to know myself better.

What might PRZED CHWILĄ offer you?

PRZED CHWILĄ does not promise a life without stress or tension. It helps you notice your own reactions earlier and better understand what is happening within you in everyday situations.

Less time in automatic tension

It becomes easier to notice when you begin acting under the influence of urgency, tension or a flood of thoughts.

More self-awareness

You begin to recognise changes in your body, thoughts and behaviour.

A better understanding of your reactions

You may notice situations that place particular pressure on you, as well as recurring ways of responding.

Room for more calm

Noticing does not guarantee calm. It may, however, create a moment in which you are not following your reaction entirely automatically.

Everyone may experience this process differently. The model does not prescribe a single way of responding or promise a particular result.

It helps you notice. It lets you orient yourself. It offers an opportunity to get to know yourself better.