1. Women are busier than ever
According to a study by the Bureau of Labor Statists U.S. women spent more time working, caring for their families and doing jobs around the house in 2018 than in previous years, and according to Statista the average number of children in the household is up from previous years. This mean that between working, house work, caring for their family and driving their kids to activities women are busier than ever. Along with all of the business comes exhaustion. It is important to have down time and time to recharge.
2. Mom guilt at an all-time high
Due to increase of social media and decrease of time to be around their friends. Woman are being hammered with a heavy dose of mom guilt. There is always something you need to do better, be more careful with, should have read. Women are constantly feeling
the weight of not being enough under all the strain in their life. When women get away with their girlfriends, they have time to talk and realize most of what they are experiencing is normal, and eases the mom guilt, if not just for a minute.
3. Friendship is critical to your own physical health
Because women are so busy with work, family, and well honestly, spending time on social media, there is less time to build relationship with our friends. Studies show that it is critical for women to have relationships with other women, in fact it might even be the difference between life and death. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, women with early-stage breast cancer were four times more likely to die from cancer if they didn't have very many friends. Those with a larger group of friends with early-stage breast cancer had a much better survival rate. We need our friends in our life, and it is worth taking the time to get away with them, so they remain friends forever. Our health may even depend on it. (Perhaps even surviving CoVid-19)
4. Friendship is critical to the health of your marriage
When going through hard things in marriage it is really advantageous for women to have another woman to process emotions with and to hold them accountable. Plus, women are wired to be around other women; we thrive in those relationships, when they are healthy. When we go to our husband to meet all of our girlfriend needs, we often add stress to our marriage that is unnecessary, and can contribute to a strained relationship. When we have girlfriends around, we can offload some of the expectations on our husbands.
5. Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Speaking of marriages, don’t forget that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Not just
from your husbands, but from your kids too. Getting away with your girlfriends can remind you of the things you love about your husband, and can certainly make you miss your kids. It’s good for us to have a little bit of time away from the ones we love, to remind us what we love about them.
6. Kids and spouses need alone time too
It isn’t just us who need time away, sometimes our family needs time away from us. I know that is hard to admit, but when we are stressed to the max, and running on empty, we aren’t always the most fun to be around. Plus, time with dad, just looks different. According to an article called, “7 Reasons Why Fathers Need to Have Alone Time with the Kids” on babygaga.com, there are lots of benefits to fathers having alone time with their kids including, benefiting their physical, social, and cognitive development, and can even contribute to higher self-esteem. Not to mention when you are not there, dad is way more likely to show his silly side. Plus, it proves to be extremely bonding for father and child. So, don’t be afraid to leave the kids with dad, it is good for everyone.
7. Women need time to process deeper things with safe people
Women are so busy, and most of us spend the bulk of our time fulfilling our work and family obligations, and what little time we have left is spent on social media. We rarely have time to actually dig into the things we are struggling in, with real live people. When you take time to get away with your friends, you afford yourself the time and space to discuss those deeper things with the ones you are closest to.
8. Filling our bucket allows us to fill others.
When we are empty, we don’t have anything left to give. If getting away with your girlfriends allows you to recharge and reconnect, then it can help you be a better you for your family and your work, and everyone else who needs your attention. So next time your church offers a retreat, or there is a deal on flights to the beach, take some time to really consider getting away. It may just be the best thing for everyone in your life if you do.
If you are looking for a good getaway for you and your friends, check out our Awakening events. See also our article on why you should choose an intentional getaway with your friends.