LET’S TALK SELF-CARE & FINDING YOUR MOTIVATION

Sometimes it takes us a while to get motivated to do new things or resume old things. I had a routine before. I’ve had many routines that were known to work for me, but then life happened. Whether it was my car accident in 2014 or having Aiden in 2016–it was life happening.

Let’s just start with having Aiden in 2016. I had lost all of my weight (and some) while breastfeeding, but somehow between ending maternity leave and returning to work I gained it all back and more. So now I’m 15-20 (maybe 25 pounds) heavier than I’ve ever been and I’m not used to it. Fast forward to present day: I’ve been talking about working out for so long. In 2017, I had a gym membership that I paid for in full (silly mistake) and only went twice. The gym is legit 5 minutes from my house, so I thought OK it won’t be a problem for me to get back into the swing of things. Sadly, I was mistaken. It was HARD. I got the membership when AP’s dad and I were still living together, thinking I’d be able to resume my 5AM workout routine, get Aiden ready, drop off at daycare and get to work still in a timely fashion. Yeah, right. Things didn’t workout that way. We separated, he moved out and that was that. Morning gym sessions were out the window.

I’ve never been motivated enough to workout in the house. Not even stretch. That just hasn’t been my thing. But more recently, as recent as this week something is sparking in me. I originally planned to start my workout sessions when I returned from vacation, but the timing was off due to unforeseen circumstances related to AP’s dad’s schedule and me not wanting him to be in another childcare setting. Finally, I’m like EFF it. I’m going to make this work. For me, the gym was like my coffee. I didn’t become a coffee drinker until I stopped working out. I didn’t need coffee. Granted, I won’t be able to workout 5-6 days a week like I did before, but I can have a routine consistent enough that will work for me. I’m going to begin attending group personal training sessions 3 times a week for an hour each to get myself kick started in resuming an active lifestyle. The timing and scheduling part with Aiden is what’s going to be tough, but I’m not going to let it prevent me from feeling good and maintaining my self care.

For me, my physical health is linked directly to my mental health. I consistently feel happier and have less of a depressed mood when I’m active. I’m releasing negative energy and stress, while focusing on the workout rather than everything else going on in that moment.

I intentionally started this morning off with a 5-minute morning yoga video just to make a change and refocus my energy. I heard on the Affirm podcast a while ago, about how self-care should be intentional. It felt good! Afterwards, I ran a bath with epsom salt, soaked and continued to stretch while listening to another podcast. That’s another thing that is a part of my self-care. My plan is to keep it all up! Be intentional and make time for the things that will make me feel better!

You can expect to see more self care posts on a regular basis, especially as I’m getting back into my routine. This will include meal prep, exercise and relationships–all relationships.

Leave a comment below on how you maintain your own self-care and get motivated!

Also, click the link in the post for the 5-minute morning yoga video!

To be continued…