Why Busy Women Need a Retreat
In our busy, stress-filled lives, it is easy to become blinded to the joyful and purposeful lives we were meant to live. Moms today are running ragged, and many are suffering as a result. We are battling exhaustion and mommy-guilt, fighting for our marriages, chauffeuring our kids to and from school and a plethora of activities, and working hard in our jobs.
At the end of the day we wonder what we have really accomplished, and if we have done enough. We pour ourselves into our kids, our partners, our friends, and everyone else, that we feel we have nothing left to give ourselves. We lose a sense of who we are and where we are headed.
As a newly widowed, single mom of two busy little ones, I know the struggle is real. But as a coach, I also know there is a better way. A more meaningful and intentional way to live. And that is why I have created “Frazzled to Dazzled Pampering and Coaching Mini-Retreats for Busy Moms”.
You may be thinking, “Are you kidding? I don't have TIME to take a retreat!” or “I can't afford to do that right now!”. I know, I've been there. But I've also learned that we can't afford NOT to take time for ourselves.
So is a retreat a luxury, or a necessity? How can we benefit from taking a retreat away from the busy-ness of our daily lives? These are questions I will answer in a series of posts- my “Top 7 Reasons Busy Moms Need a Retreat”.
These posts are in no way exhaustive, and you may have other reasons you feel the need to take a mommy time-out. If so, I would love for you to share them with me in the comments below!
OK, so let's get down to the nitty-gritty.
Reason #1 to take a retreat-
TO RECONNECT AND FALL IN LOVE WITH THE AMAZING WOMAN YOU ARE!
So I know it's corny, but we've all heard the saying, “If mama ain't happy, no one's happy”. Your happiness begins inside of you and self-love is the best place to start.
When we reconnect with our souls and practice self-love, amazing things happen.
We are better able to love those around us. When I am emotionally depleted, or not feeling good about myself, I am definitely not at my best. I may lash out at or withdraw from my kids, my spouse, and the people I love the most. When we forget to love ourselves, we cannot give ourselves completely to those we love, especially our children. Our tank is empty and we are simply running on fumes. When we take the time to learn to love ourselves while accepting our flaws and failings, we are much more open and compassionate to others.
We teach our children to love themselves. It can be challenging to learn to love ourselves, prioritize ourselves and be the best that we can be. As moms who strive for self-care, we raise strong, loving and confident kids as we lead by example and teach them how to love themselves. Our children imitate everything we do. Ask yourself, would you want your child to be treated the way you treat yourself?
We transform our self-sabotage, self-doubt, and self-criticism into self-empowerment, self-compassion and self-care. So much of the time, our default is to beat ourselves up for our failures. We are experts at self-doubt and highly critical of ourselves- much more so than anyone else is of us. We are easily prone to the dreaded “Mommy Guilt”. Learning to love yourself involves focusing on your strengths and accepting your flaws.
We attract love into our lives. Feel like people don't treat you the way you want to be treated? Remember that how you treat yourself set the bar for how others will treat you! When you love yourself, you will find that others will love you too!
A retreat is a pure adventure into your relationship with yourself. An experience created for the woman who is always giving to everyone else, and putting herself aside. An inward journey that begins with loving yourself enough to MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF.
Aren't you worthy of self-love? You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You have a unique purpose to fulfill on this earth. YOU ARE AMAZING. I hope you know that beyond the shadow of a doubt!
Why is self-love important to you? What changes do you notice in your relationships with your husbands, kids, friends, family and co-workers when you practice self-care? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
