A mom’s health journey to achieving self-care, self-love, overall health and happiness.
The mom journey (whether it be a health journey, rediscovery, etc.) is really that…a journey. It is a journey of self re-discovery, and one of self-love and health as well (both emotional and physical). To me that whole process is a health journey…as I define healthy being happy, fulfilled and free.
Now that I’m on the brink of turning 40, I want to share what I did and do.
I want to discuss it all…
Why?
There is so much power, I have found, in not feeling you are alone or finally figuring out what works for you and makes you feel like YOU. This, for me, was pivotal to feeling both happy and healthy. However, I look back, even two years ago, and found that I was far from it (though you couldn’t see that on the outside). I felt a bit unweathered, lost, not necessarily unhappy but I wasn’t feeling great about who I was…or even knew who I was.
I had changed quite a bit…and what I was doing (both work-wise and health-wise) didn’t feel connected to the person I was.
Something was off.
Eventually I woke up and made some changes.
Finding Out What I Love and Doing it More
I had this inner voice saying that I wanted to write…for a while. Every position I took, however, I seemed to land back into stressful project management roles. I get it, I’m good at it and it felt familiar and something I did well at…so good I have always ended up managing a team.
Still, I didn’t feel that joy that I wanted to feel about doing my job. My jobs always felt like that…a job. Writing…there was something that felt inate. Having said that, I didn’t have a lot of experience and who would hire a writer with no experience. Furthermore, as a mom and full-time job…I didn’t have time.
Though I had started a blog…I yearned to write for publications.
I knew that I could freelance, however was immensely scared to. What if I did it and failed? What if I couldn’t pay bills? What if I was terrible at it and no one wanted to offer me paid work…ever?
Then I asked…what if I could do it?
That one change…changed my career trajectory.
I decreased my PM role hours an would freelance for the other half. I focused on pitching articles, I took a course on food writing and I read…I read, and and I read.
I started writing.
While I am no where near where I want to be…I have had opportunities to write (really write), I have had accomplished writers in my connections that I have spent time learning with and from. I have a growing portfolio and am happy doing something that feels very much like what I’m meant to do.
I feel joy when I write…I feel I am closer to that working goal. Though it was scary taking a risk and changing gears, I’m so glad I listened to that voice that said just do it.
Feeling My Best
Burnout is real. I had spent so many years writing late at night and doing other things in the day (whether it was work or taking care of kids) or anything else…I allowed myself to burn out. I took on one too many things on to my plate, not wanting to admit I couldn’t handle it.
The truth is I’m not superwoman…I couldn’t and that is so alright to admit.
I needed to fix this.
I couldn’t be feeling tired, and cranky not to mention, with my family. I needed to feel amazing and energized…because that is who I am. I’m not sluggish and anxious and sad…I am happy.
That’s not a lie…I am happy. I truly believe happiness is a state of mind at any time vs a goal. To be happy is to simply choose to be happy.
However, I was in a funk and couldn’t get out. Not to mention I was gaining weight like nobody’s business. Now weight gain is not the issue…I’m not saying that, however something was inorganic about mine. I wasn’t feeling like myself anymore. I couldn’t recognize myself and I was a healthy person.
I did the following:
- Started seeing a naturopathic doctor (Dr. Alana Polo, check out my instagram highlights on self-care)
- Got back to my healthy eating, decreasing the foods that made me feel sluggish and lacking nutritional value (I know better but got into a bad habit) and lost some weight.
- Started regularly taking supplements – Vitamin D, B Vitamins, Omega 3, iron (I always took iron but switched to one made by a compounding pharmacy and has Vitamin C), and taking probiotics – daily.
- I also take apple cider vinegar to aid digestion and found Goli gummies, which taste good!
- I regularly check up on my physical feeling…for example, I found out that my bouts of anger and stress were due to high cortisol levels. Which I combatted with walks and cortisol relief supplementation.
Now I have a mental note to see how I’m feeling and take the steps to combat it…because feeling my best is vital to me.
Feeling Love From the Inside Out
Above, one of the biggest shifts was me was not being afraid. I started to shift my mindset to be happy and thankful everyday (I’m not perfect and have off days of course and lose my ****, I’m human). However, I do try to do something to ward off negative thinking and thoughts.
I started to think less about what others were thinking of me and more about what I want to do and become that day and things started overall just feeling better on the whole.
Here are some tools that helped and continue to help me:
- Coaching (I can’t say enough. There are fantastic courses by Ranbir Puar. Click here to find out more). I have listed some online coaching courses on my Shop Products page.
- Meditation. Although I don’t pray daily, I try to take a moment and do some meditation or moments of decompressing and acknowledging how I’m feeling that day.
- Diffuse oils. I have an arsenal, but to uplift me I use citrus scents or lavender for calming. To learn more about oils, click here.
- Journalling. I do a gratitude journal at the end of the day. Also, I have tried a few other journalling techniques: abundance journalling, alignment journal, and sometimes just blanket journalling. To learn more about the journals click here, or contact me!
Are you ready to embark on your health journey?
Whatever you are feeling, just know you are not alone and things can get fulfilling and amazing…although it takes some work, the journey itself is great. Getting to know yourself and how to make yourself feel your best is a beautiful thing.
Being happy and healthy is in your wheelhouse and capacity.
I know it friend.
