Ok, first, I have to be candid. This particular post is being created on my phone while I elliptical as fast as my legs will allow. I am by no means in good shape, but last week I decided it was time to fix that. I have baby weight from my first pregnancy, which ended in miscarriage, & the grief that followed + stress weight from nursing school, long hours & lots of fast food + more baby weight from my two year old + more stress weight from two years of working too many hours while running a household & being the best momma I could+ baby weight that is not budging since the birth of our new bundle. Now, 3 years later, I find myself about 85 pounds heavier, feeling sluggish, down on myself, & like there’s no hope to go back.
Life can be like that for us momma’s though. Probably several have weight issues, but there’s a more nefarious problem for many of us. How’s your emotional health? Your mental strength? For many of us, we move a breakneck paces doing whatever we can for our family, children, church, husband, work, school, house… There’s this additive effect. Just like my physical weight, when you start adding pressures & heartache to your load, you eventually have this crushing weight that feels inescapable.
But we certainly can’t drop our responsibilities & hide – inevitably one of my smarty pants children would find me so that’s simply not an option. We have to find some subtraction in our days though. The fact is, subtraction doesn’t actually mean removing tasks though. For me, subtraction means adding the gym to my daily routine. How’s that math work? I have a gym with childcare so for one I get some well needed quiet time & space to not be climbed on & cried to. (Please don’t misunderstand, I love my children more than life itself, snotty noses, whining voices, sticky fingers & all) More importantly though, I have discovered that starting my morning with a workout gives me more energy & motivation to get through my day with a clear head. So even though I add a task to my day, I’m taking time for me to wipe the slate clean before tackling the new stress brought on by the new day.
So, I hear the negative voice already: “that’s great that you can afford a gym, have time to get there, have ability to work out, etc”. I’m not suggesting all momma’s would benefit from the gym, I asking you to search for a subtraction in your life. Perhaps it’s getting up before the kids to get things done in a quiet house, attending a mom’s group, taking a hot bath after they go to bed, asking grandma or a teen from church to watch your kids for an hour, so you can run errands in peace, or even piling babies in the stroller & going for a walk because the stroller has that calming effect.
I can’t tell you what that is for you, but I know you need something. Momma you sacrifice everything for your children: time, sleep, money, sanity, even your body for 9 months. Take this moment to recognize all that you do & that you must take time for you to continuing giving everything to them.
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