Needless to say, becoming a new mom is a total shift in your priorities and lifestyle. My days now revolve around this perfect little human and I wouldn’t have it any other way but, as any mom will tell you, it’s equally important to take care of yourself as it is to care for your children. Between sleep deprivation, breastfeeding and just learning everything that goes into caring for a newborn, it’s very easy to burnout quickly and fall into a rut where your own self care and health are thrown to the wayside. Within the first week having Emory home, I found myself feeling overwhelmed and not taking any time to care for myself and I knew that this could not continue for not only my own well-being but also for Emory, Drew and Freddy.
So this post is just as much for me to try and follow as it is for you all. Let’s all try and take some time today to be the best versions of ourselves so we can be the best moms, dads, grandparents, aunties, uncles, friends, etc for everyone else in our lives.
Below are some simple tips you can do today to help improve your health and live your life to the fullest.
1. Chew your food: Sounds pretty simple and should go without saying but we all forget, and I am right there with you! We are so used to chewing feverishly or not chewing at all because we are so busy and want to get to either the next bite or our next task. Chewing is one of the first steps of digestion and is a crucial step most of us miss. Have you ever eaten so fast you have a stomach ache? Could be because you swallowed too much air but could also be due to the fact that you did not give your body a chance to digest the food and it’s working overtime to do so. If something comes up while you’re eating (i.e. baby crying, dog needs to go out, boss is yelling at you) stop, deal with the fire, breathe, then eat the rest. Food is TOO GOOD to not enjoy fully..so slow it down and savor every bite!
2. Drink your water: It doesn’t matter who you are, or what your diet and exercise routine is, we ALL need water. It helps energize your muscles and lubricates your joints, delivers oxygen throughout your body, flushes out toxins, and it also helps you determine whether or not you’re actually hungry or just hungry from thirst. So treat yourself to a cute water bottle and fill that sucker up!
3. Move your body: This one was and is huge for me. I was so used to working out and being active up until the moment I went into labor that after I had her and was no longer able to maintain my same activity level, it really hit me hard and is still a struggle TBH. I’m so grateful that my recovery has overall been easy but feeling great actually made it harder for me to slow down and rest even though I know I needed to. After a few days, I needed to at least move my body in some capacity. With it being so hot out lately, Emory can’t really be outside for long so while Drew was home for paternity leave I made it a point to at least go outside for a quick walk by myself which made me feel much better. Now that I’m by myself, it’s been more difficult but I’m figuring out creative ways to keep us moving and grooving throughout the day. Stroller walks throughout our apartment hallways, Fred and I have gotten really into hallway soccer games and I get a lot of walking in simply by walking around my apartment with my little babe. Life is messy and complicated sometimes, but you can adapt and adjust to the changes to make it work for you.:
4. Go to bed: The majority of us are essentially walking zombies and we need to just get to bed. You need 7 to 9 hours of sleep to be at your optimal health, yikes!! Sleep can help with everything including athletic performance, memory, behavior, anxiety, weight loss, etc. Sleep has never been more important to me since bringing my girl home…it is a priceless possession that I no longer take for granted. Obviously with a newborn, my sleep has been intermittent and sporadic but believe me when I tell you, when we get Emory to sleep, mama’s going to bed with her. I don’t care if it’s still bright as day outside (and it is) I’m closing those room darkening shades and getting in as many hours that my sweet pea will let me before homegirl needs to eat again. So get off your phones and GO TO BED!:
5. BE PRESENT: This has never been more important to me than recently. Sometimes we just need to throw away our to do lists, put down our phones, turn off our TV’s and just be present in the moment. Eat dinner with your spouse at the kitchen table and have a genuine uninterrupted conversation, go out for ice cream with your friends after work and enjoy every delicious bite, take your dog for a walk and shut off your phone, snuggle your precious sweet little newborn for hours and forget all about the laundry that needs to get done. There are so many distractions and “to do’s” these days but life is too short to not be present with those you love. Instagram will always be there but you can never get moments back so please just take advantage of them and realize how special they are.
first time out as a family of 4 when Emory was about a week old!
Hope everyone incorporates some of these into their days this week and please comment below if you have any other tips!
xoxo
Amanda