I’m going to be honest with ya’ll for a second. Growing up, I never saw myself becoming a mother. I thought I would have kids in my early 20s, but it wasn’t something I was set in stone on. What I really wanted to do was travel the world, work as a physical therapist on military bases so I could move and live like a nomad. I didn’t want to get married. Even in high school, I dated, but was not envisioning a long term future (sorry past boyfriends). I never in a million years thought I would breath these words:
Motherhood is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
I didn’t grow up with a plush life & feel I have done some pretty challenging things. Now, I’m not saying I have been a victim my whole life and that every step has been hard. I grew up in a single mom house (shout out to my momma!), ran my tush off at cross country and track meets where the temperatures could be anywhere from freezing to scorching, worked my entire life, had two work study jobs in college, and always dreamed bigger than I could imagine. But I honestly never thought growing little humans who I didn’t want to be complete a$$ holes would be so hard.
Although J and I are trying, we still see the girls mimic our best and worst moments. We want them to keep that head strong, not afraid to challenge anyone mentality, but it’s mentally draining. We question ourselves and the lifestyle choices we make so that they want to live their best lives. We lose our sh!t sometimes and get annoyed, not the ideal role models. But, we’re trying. And these kids have forced some pretty amazing changes in our lives.
We’ve cleaned up our products, become more environmentally conscious, & started eating more plants. But one area of improvement we need to focus on is our thoughts. We can still dig pretty deep in negative thoughts, but we’re working on it. I’m trying to incorporate more yoga and gratitude journaling. J is trying to ensure he takes some time for himself to sit in silence. Even with these, we don’t keep our composure or be our best selves all the time.
My point of this entire post is it’s easy for you to get caught up in the negativity of life. Whether it’s stress from raising your children or not focusing on where you “should be” in life, it’s easy to look around and believe you are supposed to be somewhere else. They say the grass is always greener on the other side. But the beauty of it all is, your thoughts shape your perceptions. Everyone has depressed moments in life. Those who know me may laugh, but even I have some pretty down moments.
I wanted to share some ways to naturally de-stress in your life. Whether it’s five minutes or five hours, I want to encourage you to grow mentally and feel better. As we come into cold season, having less stress helps us sleep better and prevents our bodies from being pumped with cortisol, which suppresses our immune systems.
- Walk in nature
- Sit and watch the sun rise or sit in silence
- Relax your muscles with progressive muscle relaxation
- Try pranayama breathing
- Meditate
- Write positive affirmations
- Take a bath
- Go outside for 30 minutes
I hope these find you well and help you through your rough patches. Maybe they’ll prove insightful and influence you to make that switch in life you need in order to feel better than you imagined I’m with you and sending you lots of hugs and positive energy.
xo Meghan
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