CCMA Is Coming. Take Care of Yourself While You’re There.

As you get ready to head to Tacoma for CCMA, let’s name something that happens at every good conference: there’s a lot of good stuff. Thoughtful sessions, meaningful conversations and people you’ve been wanting to connect with. It’s a full experience in the best way, and because of that, it can be easy to feel like you need to do it all. Let’s…not do that.

You are not required to attend every session. I promise, CCMA will not revoke your cooperator card if you skip one (or a few). In fact, you’ll likely get more out of the conference if you don’t try to pack every minute. Choose what aligns with your role, your curiosity and your capacity. The rest will still be there in conversations, shared notes and follow-ups.

If you’re attending with a group from your co-op, use that to your advantage. Split up sessions so you can cover more ground collectively without each person being stretched thin, then come back together and share what you learned and let that be enough.

And GMs, this one is especially for you. You often arrive already holding a lot, and CCMA doesn’t have to become another space where you’re “on” the entire time. Give yourself permission to step away, to not attend everything and to have moments where you are just a person at a conference.

Build in time for yourself. Take a walk. Sit out a session. Eat a meal without turning it into a meeting. Let your brain catch up with what you’re taking in.

Also, drink water. Not coffee. Not just coffee. Water. This is your gentle but firm hydration reminder.

CCMA is a space for connection, learning and strengthening our cooperative work, and you don’t have to prove anything while you’re there. You’ll bring more back by taking care of yourself along the way.