Self Care Has Gone Out The Window

I just returned from GCUC Denver. “Juicy”, as the acronym is pronounced, is the largest global coworking conference (or unconference) where the industry elite and standouts sit on panels to discuss their accomplishments and the latest in technology and trends in the coworking industry, but let me go back a couple of days before the conference began to the Women Who Cowork Retreat. I arrived at the historic mansion where I’d be coliving with a dozen ladies from all over the world who own, operate, or celebrate coworking spaces. The warmth and sense of belonging I felt upon my arrival lasted throughout the whole retreat. Facilitated by Iris Kavanagh and Laura Shook Guzman with a guest workshop on content creation led by Cat Johnson, this student of coworking was fangirling BIGTIME.

The retreat started on Sunday morning with a deep exhale and an overwhelming sense of relaxation and gratitude. As Iris softly spoke about giving yourself thanks for being here, I nearly lost it. Just the act of taking a few days away from the coworking space threw me into a panic of what-if scenarios, but I realized that one cannot function optimally on coworking-vibes alone. As entrepreneurs, we’re so focused on serving our customers and our business, that Self-Care moves farther down the list of priorities. There has to be self care in the regiment. At the Women Who Cowork retreat, I meditated, I journaled, I yoga-ed(?), and I ate food prepared by a local chef who catered to the gamut of attendees’ needs like paleo, keto, vegetarian, dairy free. I ate vegetables I’ve never seen before and everything was prepared fresh each meal. I nourished my body and my mind and I return to The Coop rejuvenated with the promise to myself to care for myself as much as I care for my coworking community.