Making space for yourself is not a luxury

When was the last time you gave yourself a real gift – something chosen just for you?

For me, it took the shape of a solo trip.
Not to escape my life, but to come back to myself.
To restore my energy, let my body slow down, and acknowledge the path I had already travelled.

While I was there, I met many women.
Most of them were mothers.
Each with her own reason for stepping away for a while.
Each carrying a different life story.

And very quickly, something became clear.

This need to claim some space for ourselves has nothing to do with selfishness or whim.
It is often a transition, a breathing space, sometimes even a form of rebuilding.

After giving so much – time, energy, attention, care – many women reach a point where the need for solitude becomes almost physical.
Not to do more.
But simply to be.

After carrying life and raising two young boys, I felt that need too.
A space that was mine alone – to breathe, to reflect, to slow everything down.
A space to reconnect, and quietly become something new.

With hindsight, I see how much these moments shape my professional journey as well.
They feed my vision, my energy, and the way I choose to support others.
They influence the direction my work is taking, and the meaning I want it to hold.

Taking time for yourself is not an unnecessary detour.
It is often what allows you to return more grounded, more aligned, more present.

And because balance matters, this need for space is not exclusive to mothers.

Everyone needs their own way of reconnecting – whether that happens in silence, far away from home… or at the top of a mountain.

If you could create a little more space in your everyday life, what would it be for first?