 I remember having long days, nights, and having to take care of myself, a husband, three kids, and an occasional pet. It was like being on a hamster wheel, I just had to keep going. It was a challenging, life transforming journey. Now that I’m an empty nester, I have more time to focus on my goals and growth. In order to fill the empty spaces that were once occupied by rushing to drop off my kids in the morning before work, then making it home in time to prepare a meal, and getting the kids to after-school activities, I had to let go. I was used to being an eight-armed multitasking pro. Learning to unwind isn’t always easy. Habits become a way of life. I had learn to stop burning the candle at both ends, allowing myself to decompress. When I stopped running myself ragged, creativity became my friend and began to flow again. When my youngest went away to college, I enrolled at a recommended University to begin my second Master’s degree. I am a lifelong learner, who happens to be a teacher. I love having the summer off. It gives me time to regroup before starting a new year of instilling a love of learning into a group of young students. Summer SlideDo you realize having the summer off comes with disadvantages, or potential problems? There is a phenomenon that is known as “Summer Slide”. Researchers have associated it with students whose families have a lower socioeconomic status. I have found that it’s related to other factors as well. Additionally, it happens to adults. When a student takes the summer off, they begin to forget the lessons they’ve been taught. When the new school year begins, there are teachers who scratch their head knowing what skills have been covered, yet students show no evidence of them. Those students have fallen behind. Their peers who have continued to read and learn have gained additional skills. Annual beginning of the year assessments gives us a narrative of who experienced “summer slide”. Adults who stop reading and learning “something new” experience a similar slide. Their colleagues, counterparts, and friends who continue to learn, experience new growth. They are ahead and leading the pack. Research has shown that lifelong learning, as in “no summers off or away from educating oneself” has many financial, emotional, and health related benefits. Turning a Hobby Into a BusinessI’ve turned my hobby of adventure, lifelong learning, and self-care/stress relief into a business. It gives me a reason to create workshops, events, and speak to others about research-based practices that create an efficient and effective life, which has advantages for all of us. In fact, a couple comments from my last workshop participants were: Lisa did a great job at reminding us why self-care is a priority. I especially liked the handout that walked us through specific ways that we can think about redefining how we look at goals. Interesting content! Learned so many new things! Bridging self-care, lifelong learning, and adventure is my favorite job yet! If Mama Ain't HappyYou’ve heard the saying, “If Mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy!” Let’s do what it takes to make you happy, provide a plan to keep you happy, and supply the research that will make it an ongoing priority. When you’re more at ease, the world around you can become lighter and brighter. We were never meant to carry the weight of the world. It’s just too much. You can call it self care, stress relief, and if you’re old enough, you may remember the “Calgon take me away” commercial. I have a plan, sign up for my upcoming classes, I’ll share the research (a lot of it is from Harvard Business Review) with you. As I said in the beginning, change is good. Below are three opportunities for you and perhaps someone you know that are past due for delighting in the ability to take flight. Let’s grow and go from crawling to flying with the company of like-minded women at the SheHive! The following classes were created to get you started to assist you on the path to meeting your needs and goals, now! Learn Something New This SummerSwing Into Self Care puts you and your needs on the front burner for a change! 50 Before 50: Let's Rock This Life List is a “How To and Let’s” do 50 (or more) new things before we hit the half-century mark, which I completed last year! Let’s do it within a community of like-minded women and learn from one another. Finally, if you’re into adventure and fulfilling your bucket list, join the Badass Ladies Supper Club at Detroit Flyhouse Circus School for an aerial beginner silks and hammock lesson, we always have a ball!
Stacy V
6/6/2019 12:33:43 pm
Great post! Comments are closed.
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