You Haven’t Disappeared - You’ve Just Been Holding Everyone Else
Have you ever felt like you’re quietly fading into the background?
It can happen so slowly you don’t even notice at first - until one day you catch yourself thinking: “Does anyone even see me anymore?”
You’re not alone.
I know this feeling intimately. There was a time when I'd catch glimpses of myself in shop windows or walking past a mirror and think, 'When did I become a ghost in my own life?' That might sound a little - well – harsh – but you might know what I mean. The woman I used to be - vibrant, present, seen - felt like a distant memory.
So many women I work with share this quiet ache. The feeling of invisibility that comes after years of looking after everyone else. Children, partners, parents, colleagues… we pour so much of ourselves into others that we forget how to pour back into ourselves.
And here’s the thing: it’s not selfish to want to feel seen again. It’s human.
Why You Feel This Way and Why It’s Not Your Fault
We live in a world that praises women for their strength and their selflessness. But it rarely reminds us that we matter too.
That quiet exhaustion you feel. That sense of disconnect from yourself. Those moments when you look in the mirror and barely recognise who’s looking back?
They’re not flaws. They’re signs.
I wish someone had told me this when I was in the thick of it - when I was working those 10-hour days, holding everything together, and quietly disappearing from my own life.
Your body and soul are trying to tell you something important: It's time to remember who you are underneath it all.
And here's what's beautiful about this timing - as a Qigong instructor, I've learned that August carries a special energy that can support this return to yourself. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this month marks the shift from summer's fiery, outward energy to the softer, more grounded energy of the Earth Element.
It's nature's way of inviting us to slow down, come back to centre, and nourish ourselves deeply. After years of pouring your energy outward - into work, family, everyone else's needs - August whispers: "Now it's time to turn that care inward."
You've been so busy being everything to everyone that you've forgotten you're someone worth seeing too. But this season is asking you to remember.
This is your time to clear away what's been draining you, and to draw in the qualities of the Earth: stability, balance, and deep nourishment.
A Simple Practice to Come Back to Yourself
Here’s one small way to start reconnecting with yourself this month:
🌿 Grounding Breath & Touch
Sit or stand somewhere quiet, with your bare feet flat on the floor (I like to do this on the grass in the garden).
Place your hands over your belly and close your eyes.
Take a slow breath in through your nose, feeling your belly softly rise.
Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your feet anchored to the earth.
As you breathe, whisper to yourself: “I am here. I am enough. I matter.”
Even two minutes of this can help you feel more centred, and more like yourself.
When I first started doing this practice, I'll be honest - it felt strange to give myself even two minutes. But gradually, breath by breath and being consistent I started to feel... present. Like I was coming back to myself… even with simple daily rituals like this.
You are not invisible.
You’ve simply been so busy taking care of everyone else, you’ve drifted from your own centre. And now, something inside you is quietly calling you back.
August invites you to pause. To reconnect.
To feel rooted in your own worth - not because of how much you do for others, but simply because you exist.
You don’t have to keep powering through.
You don’t have to keep shrinking to fit everyone else’s needs.
You don’t have to carry it all alone.
This month, let yourself soften.
Let yourself be seen - but - first by yourself!
Let it be okay to want more ease, more space, more you.
This is your time to turn toward yourself with care and compassion.
To reset, refill, and remember who you really are.
Because you matter too.
Breathe & believe, lovely 💫
Lorraine