“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

– Henry David Thoreau

It occurred to me recently that I have never given myself a vacation.

One time I went away for the weekend without my laptop, but still worked from my iPod. I fool myself into thinking that I work flexible hours, taking time for fun during the week…to be made up at the weekend.

If a friend of mine described a boss like this, I would demand she ask for better working conditions. Just as I believe in indulging in chocolate cake rather than counting the calories with each bite, I believe that I should enjoy the luxury of being my own boss, guilt-free. Instead I work harder and more frantically to ‘earn’ this privilege. 

And so I am going camping –

figuratively, as tis no longer the season for such an activity. I’m taking some time to myself to heal and just to be. I am on retreat, spending time  ‘in the woods’ – literally and in state of mind. I return when I feel ready.

Some days I am bursting with ideas. Blog post titles fly into my head faster than I can jot them down. But just as frequently, I feel heavy with exhaustion, too tired to sit up in bed let alone run a business. During my time off, I wish to balance out these extremes, and also to get clearer than ever on what Heroine Training means and what I can do for you as your Headmistress.

While part of me feels scared to admit this vulnerability, a greater part wants to set an example. I want to normalise self care and openness about mental health. I want to share my experience of this particular type of burnout to let you know, if you have ever felt like this, that you are not alone. 

My greatest lessons that I teach come from challenges I have faced and overcome.

I look forward to articulating lessons on what I’m currently experiencing, and sharing them with you soon. I prefer the phrase ‘being my own heroine’ to ‘being my best self’ because progress comes not only from ambitious striving, but through an appreciation for one’s own journey: embracing the ambling path, backwards and around in circles as it may sometimes seem. 

May you too respect yourself as a heroine with as much compassion as you do for your fictional role models,

P.S. Some things you can do in my absence:

• Sign up to hear when I’m back, and also receive your free copy of my ebook, A Spell for Feeling Well
• Read my ebook, Own Your Story: A Heroine’s Handbook
• Browse the Heroine Training archives by topic