Blog
Women Who Ride the Waves
In today’s fast-paced, stressful world, it can be difficult for women to find a balance between stress and self-care. Many women juggle work, family responsibilities, activities, maintaining friendships—and often neglect taking a moment for themselves. The anxiety that comes with navigating life’s ups and downs can feel overwhelming. The constant barrage of information through social media can also fuel feelings of inadequacy, making women question, “Am I doing enough?” Not everyone has a support network to share their concerns with, and even those who do may struggle to admit how much they’re overwhelmed.
Personally, I used to strive for that elusive moment when things would magically calm down. I was a woman on the edge, always trying to find balance, convinced that if I could just get everything under control, I could finally relax. Pre-pandemic, this meant trying to schedule every minute of my day, thinking that by controlling my family’s routine, I could achieve inner peace. But the pandemic reinforced a hard truth: life is chaotic, and it doesn’t care about our need for order. As we’ve lurched from one crisis to the next, I’ve had to adapt to the idea that life’s volatility is, in some ways, a good thing. Chaos forces us to live in the moment, be present, use our creativity to solve problems, and—most importantly—evaluate where we need to change and grow in order to cope with life’s challenges.
What I’ve come to realize is that calmness isn’t constant. Life doesn’t stay still. There is always movement; there is always change. These changes come in waves—some big, some small—but the waves always keep coming, whether we want them to or not. If we only try to find balance when the waters are calm, the next wave will knock us over. As Jon Kabat-Zinn says, “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Balance isn’t about waiting for calm waters—it’s about learning to ride the waves that life throws at us. Instead of being women on the edge, let’s become women who ride the waves.
It may seem overwhelming but there are small ways to make changes in our lives to ride life’s everyday stressors.
3 Ways to Ride the Waves:
1. Expression: Whether through art, writing, movement, or any other form of creativity, channeling our feelings into expression helps externalize them rather than letting them grow and fester inside.
2. Activity: Physical movement—whether it’s dance, yoga, or exercise—helps reduce the stress cycle while introducing endorphins into the body, elevating our mood.
3. Connection: Finding and fostering meaningful connections can help provide the emotional support needed to navigate life’s ups and downs.
Finding outlets to connect with others and learning new ways to reduce our stress is a great beginning to riding the waves. Keeping this in mind we will be exploring new ideas on our blog and also starting a workshop series for women at the clinic.
Introducing Our Workshop Series: Women Who Ride the Waves
If you’re ready to stop feeling like a “woman on the edge” and start learning how to ride the waves of life with confidence, join us for our Women Who Ride the Waves workshop series. Each session will focus on a unique theme designed to help you reduce stress, build resilience, and reconnect with joy.
Attend one or join us for all three!
Workshop 1: Setting Intentions and Learning How to Let Go of Negative Thoughts and Ideas
In this session, we’ll focus on clarifying your intentions and releasing unhelpful thoughts, using a blend of mindfulness, art, and movement to create space for new possibilities.
Workshop 2: Building Resilience and Coping Skills
Explore creative ways to strengthen your resilience and develop effective coping strategies to handle life’s challenges. You’ll learn practical tools to help you navigate life’s ups and downs with greater ease.
Workshop 3: Self-Compassion and Reconnecting with Joy
This workshop is all about nurturing yourself. We’ll explore self-compassion practices and guide you through activities designed to help you rediscover joy and reconnect with what brings you happiness.
Each session is designed to be interactive and empowering, giving you the space to express yourself, connect with others, and walk away with practical tools for managing stress.
You may be asking yourself, but the whole point is I don’t have time, how could I join a workshop?
When you’re stressed out, the idea of carving out time for a workshop may seem impossible. You might feel like there’s just no room in your schedule for something extra. But taking this hour and a half for yourself might be exactly what you need to handle life’s stresses better. This short investment of time can give you the tools, support, and mental space to manage your stress more effectively.
By setting aside time for yourself, you can learn how to navigate your stress instead of letting it overwhelm you. Think of it as a break that helps you recharge, gain clarity, and become better equipped to face your daily challenges.
Join us and become a woman who rides the waves!