What is Self-Care?

Self-care is taking care of you! It involves anything you do to take care of you physically, mentally and spiritually. 

And no, that is not being selfish - it is caring for yourself, which is how you care for others.  In order to be the best you can be for others, you need to be at your best.

In these days of technology and instant access to information people are expected to always be working, and available - to always be productive.

Sadly, this busyness is counterproductive. There is a cost to trading self-care for productivity. That cost includes, fatigue, overwhelm, burnout, depression, anxiety, and resentment. 

A discussion with women at a a recent women's group turned to how they are so busy that at times they go into overwhelm. 

"What do you do when you find yourself in overwhelm?" I asked. 

One woman told us, "I know about self-care. I take time to bath, rest, eat well, and even exercise. And still I feel overwhelmed." 

What came to mind is that in our busyness what often gets missed is our mental and spiritual self care. This is our inner self. We have to take time for certain aspects of self-care like physical, and even social - and we do. Sadly, it is our inner self that is the one area that is out of sight and out of mind. It may even be the most important aspect. 

The busyness of two jobs, two children, and a partner caused my own burnout and depression. I was one of those women who didn't really know what I wanted from life. And I did not speak up because I did not want to make waves. I felt that I had very few rights. My biggest problem was that I felt like I was never good enough. I did not feel that I deserved to be spoken to with respect. and I never gave myself permission to feel what I was feeling, to express what I was feeling. Nor did I give myself permission to stand up for what I believed or wanted. Depression is a lack of expression. Burnout is mental, physical and emotional exhaustion.

These are things that started my quest for what I want in my life and in my future. I want to look forward to the possibilities in my future. These break downs are what lead me to finding ways to increase self-confidence and self-esteem. And wanting that for others as well is what led me to Life Coaching.

I find that clients often need to be given permission to feel what they are feeling. From personal experience, one holds in their emotions, be it sadness, resentment, even anger, because they fear the results of expressing themselves - afraid their emotions will be dismissed, or any resentment and anger will be turned back onto them.  "Shake it off! You can't feel that way! You are imagining things!" Sound familiar What else?

Emotions are an integral part of who we are and they must be acknowledged and dealt with or they will have a negative affect on us. Many women, even today, were raised to take care of others, to put themselves last. That's not working for them because the continual productivity and caring for others is draining their mental and physical selves.

As women, we need to care for ourselves so we can care for our loved ones, our jobs and careers, and our friends and family.  That's why I started my Dare to Dream Retreats and that's why you need to consider attending Dare to Dream Encore November 29 to December 1st. The doors are closing soon. 

Don't miss this opportunity. Book you spot today!

You deserve this!

It is a weekend journey for you to resurrect the dreams and desires buried while you 

got your education, raised your children, started your business, and or cared for others.

It is for women who are ready to look at their lives with new perspectives and 

give themselves permission to dream new possibilities - for themselves. 

Is this you? 

Are you ready to get to know you and what you want?

Are you ready to empower yourself with clarity and direction that will 

guide your next steps and create the future you want to step into? 

Let me share with you the experiences of other women who dared to dream at one, and even two, of the previous Dare to Dream retreats.

The first retreat was a year ago, at the end of October. It was an overnight retreat at Jericho House, Wainfleet. The benefits received were huge! At the end of this mini retreat, every one of the women said the same thing, "When's the next one?"  The participants got so much value out of our short time together, they asked for a longer retreat in nice weather so they could go out into the forest. We still keep in touch. We met for lunch in Hamilton in February, halfway between where we all live. We reconnected to share successes and progress after sharing Dare to Dream - Again - the first retreat. And, they were still asking, "When's the next retreat?"

The next retreat was scheduled for June 2024. We were so pumped from the results of the first retreat that we were asked to be on a Transformed Infinitely podcast by Jeff Walters called,  Charmaine – Dare to Dream 2.0  Please give it a listen to hear how Dare to Dream Retreats can benefit you. 

Three from the first group signed up immediately for Dare 2 Dream 2. This weekend was a full Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. It was the same program with a bit more powerful information and lots of time outdoors exploring the forest paths. This retreat included different people yet again, the benefits were huge ending with takeaways and appreciations. The smiles on the faces of these women were brilliant as they shared how much they enjoyed the event and the benefits they received.

One takeaway from a second time attendee was that the first retreat was great and this one was better. "It was Magical," she exclaimed. Others commented on how safe they felt learning and sharing with each other. They told of the clarity and direction they now have. They learned how valuable their self-care is and how important they are to themselves. They enjoyed the comfort and peaceful atmosphere of Jericho House and how they enjoyed the food. They have definitely re-kindled their hope and belief in themselves. They are already dreaming their possibilities into reality! And, they were asking, again, "When's the next one?"

The next one is happening at the end of this month, November 29 to December 1. Check it out at Dare to Dream Encore Retreat. It will be another powerful retreat for those who attend. Women from the first, and second retreats have already registered.  What a wonderful pre-Christmas gift for yourself, or a friend.  The reaction to Dare to Dream retreats was so positive and uplifting, I have to share it with as many people as I can. 

Don't miss it. I want you to have the opportunity to step into this possibility and to share it with other women ready to get to know themselves better. Do yourself a favour and check Dare to Dream Encore Retreat out and register today to ensure your room is reserved.