We can be successful, capable, happy and fulfilled, and still need space that’s just for us.
There are multiple facets to wellbeing – occupational wellbeing being one of them. And occupational wellbeing isn’t just about enjoying our jobs or doing rewarding work. It’s also about recognising how the demands of our working lives affect our overall wellbeing.
I love my corporate career. I also love my work through La Vida Lagom, holding space for women to pause, reconnect and prioritise themselves. But loving what you do doesn’t mean you don’t need time away from it. And taking time off work isn’t necessarily the same as taking time for yourself.
Many of us move seamlessly between professional responsibilities and personal ones, rarely putting down the mental load of organising, planning, anticipating and caring for others. Even our holidays and weekends can become another ‘to do’ list of tasks to manage everyone else’s needs. But when was the last time you took time purely for yourself?
Not to catch up on chores. Not to organise everyone else’s schedules. Not to make sure everyone else was having a lovely time, but time just for you?
The joy of being looked after
This past weekend, I travelled to the beautiful Isle of Skye to attend a retreat hosted by my friend and fellow retreat leader, Josephine.
As someone who regularly hosts retreats, I know how much thought, planning and care goes into creating these experiences. But this weekend, I didn’t have the responsibility of any of that. I wasn’t the one holding the space. I was the one having space held for me.
I knew where I needed to be and when. All I had to decide was if I chose to join in with an activity or not. I didn’t have to do any planning, meals were cooked and served to me, no cleaning up or loading the dishwasher. I didn’t once need to check everyone had what they needed or worry whether everything was running to plan – someone else had taken care of it all.
And there’s something incredibly special (and a little strange at first) about being on the receiving end of being looked after. Especially when you’re so accustomed to being the person who holds everything together. But having those responsibilities taken from me gave me the opportunity to explore somewhere new, connect with others, embrace new experiences and most importantly to simply enjoy being present.
Why I believe in the magic of retreats
For me, retreats aren’t about escaping life. They’re about returning to it with a little more of yourself. They’re an opportunity to step away from the roles we play every day and reconnect with who we are beyond our responsibilities.
To explore somewhere new. Meet new people. Try something different. Rest without guilt. And perhaps remind ourselves how brave and capable we really are.
Because choosing to travel somewhere unfamiliar, spend time with people we may never have met and step outside our comfort zones takes courage. Sometimes we need those experiences to remind ourselves that we’re capable of so much more than our everyday routines allow us to see.
It’s one of the reasons I love hosting retreats through La Vida Lagom. Creating an environment where women can put down their responsibilities for a while. Where the decisions are about what they want or need. Where they can experience the joy of being looked after, rather than always being the one doing the looking after.
And where they can discover, or rediscover, parts of themselves that everyday life sometimes leaves little room for. Because wellbeing shouldn’t be something we only prioritise when we’re struggling. We don’t have to reach burnout to deserve rest. We don’t have to justify taking time for ourselves by how much we’ve achieved or how exhausted we feel.
And we don’t always have to be the person looking after everyone else. Sometimes, we get to be the one who’s looked after. Because ultimately, wellbeing isn’t about escaping the life we’ve created. It’s about finding ways to live it without losing ourselves along the way. 🤎