On August 31, the DC Bloggers got the opportunity to attend the first Bitter Grace Self-Care Retreat at the beautiful Willard InterContinental hotel in Washington, DC. Founder of Bittergrace Boutique, Anne Marie Johnson, was inspired to hold a self-care retreat because she wanted to encourage women to follow their passions, realize their self-worth, and to love themselves a little more every day. She hoped that the retreat would empower women to #domorebemore and we would say that her speaker line up did just that!
Here are 5 of our favorite self-care tips from the retreat:
Say “I am in the process of learning” instead of “I can’t”
Britt Noelle Wells, founder of Brittnoelle.co and former DC Bloggers Speaker discussed how damaging self-limiting beliefs can be and how she had to shatter hers in order to leave a toxic relationship. There was tremendous power behind Britt’s willingness to share her own self-limiting beliefs with the room. She believes that solitude and finding your own mantra are key to proving yourself wrong and overcoming your own self-limiting beliefs. She left us with a question: If you had to be wrong about a personal doubt, how would that positively impact your life?
Remember Your Best Qualities
During a brief breathing and body scan exercise, Punita Mangat, founder of ThriveHigherDaily, discussed the importance of practicing non-judgemental awareness, both with ourselves and others. Life is going to happen, but fortunately, you can harness that to make a shift. Take time to process the emotions, but realize that it doesn’t have to define you. Punita also advised that everyone should write down 3 of your best qualities every night before bed. If you are having a difficult time coming up with one, think about a compliment that you always receive. When you wake up in the morning, reading them should be one of the first things that you do. Start your day with self-love by remembering your best qualities.
Learn to Fear Less
Have you ever realized how close “scared” and “sacred” are in the English language? Dr. Taryn Marie Stejskal, the founder of Resilience Leadership, noted that though being fearless is unattainable, you can fear less by learning to take what happened to you and grow from it. It is impossible to eradicate all of the fear of life, but there is great power in resilience. One way to fear less is to practice vulnerability by allowing experiences to soften and open our hearts.
Know When to Put on Your Oxygen Mask First
When you board an aircraft, the safety instructions always state that you should put on your oxygen mask before helping others in case of emergency. While the airplane safety instruction sketch performed by Rebecca Ahmed and Natalie Iannone, co-founders of TURN IT ON was crafted to spark laughter, the general message rang true. In order to provide value and support to others, you have to take care of yourself first! This is especially true when you feel overwhelmed. So take a deep breath; making time to practice self-care is not only beneficial to yourself, but to everyone around you.
Collaboration Over Competition
In addition to knowing when to practice self-care, Rebecca and Natalie also encouraged us to think about our flight (a metaphor for life) and who we are surrounding ourselves with. They spoke about the importance of surrounding yourself with people that lift you higher and the magic that comes from women working together. In fact, they stated that when we help each other be better, we actually increase the number of opportunities available. Women don’t have to compete with each other for resources. When each of us shines our light, the world becomes a little bit brighter.
Thank you, Bitter Grace Boutique, for having the DC Bloggers at your Self-Care Retreat! We look forward to next year!
Chapter Officer: 
Chapter Volunteer: Peyton Johnson is a Washington, D.C. native playing dress up and explorer, while documenting it all through 
Chapter Volunteer:
Chapter Volunteer:
Chapter Volunteer: Kristian Spraggins is curly hair and personal style content creator from Alexandria,VA. She has always loved fashion and personal style, but her love for style and creating her personal brand blossomed in college at Hampton University. She loves showcasing how to wear and style staple pieces from her closet in multiple ways in order to get the most use out of her wardrobe. She is the blogger behind 
Chapter Volunteer: Parisa moved to DC four years ago from Connecticut and fell in love with everything this city has to offer! Her blog follows her adventures discovering new restaurants, visiting art exhibits, experimenting with style, and exploring different parts of DC (and beyond). Her focus on shopping local and supporting small, female-owned businesses aims to showcase all types of talent and highlight hidden DC gems. She loves being part of the DC Bloggers community and is always down to connect over a cup of coffee (preferably one with cute latte art)! 
Chapter Volunteer: Madison Schuchart is the creative behind the DC-based style and travel blog, 
Chapter Volunteer: “Liz Strom is a DMV-native, In-Demand Speaker, Professional Life/Career Coach, Workshop Facilitator, & double organ transplant survivor. She is the Founder of Creative Calm Solutions LLC, Workshop Producer of The Goddess Workshop, and Executive Director of Xccelerate by DCBX. She leads empowering, energy-shifting workshops and has been featured by Aurora Zen Lifestyle Magazine, The Pursue Your Spark Podcast, Konnected Voices, The American Transplant Foundation, DCBX + 202 Creates for Xccelerate, The Interfusion Festival, The Wing + Cathay Pacific, Healthmonitor Magazine, The Emma G Podcast, and more.
Chapter Volunteer: Amreen is the face behind The Pink Patola, a fashion blog. A native of Northern Virginia, Amreen has grown up within the area and is tries to show fun outfits for the office. The Pink Patola is a combination of Corporate Fashion, Indian Culture, and everything in between. 
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