Self Care

 What Does Self Care mean to you?

Each day has been rough. And, I don't just mean postpartum, but I mean in GENERAL. It is not until recently that I have realized the true connotation of a routine.  

After becoming a mama, I realized that in baby care, everything follows a routine. 

1. They wake up
2. They need diaper changes through the day
3. They eat/nap/shower/play
4. They go back to sleep

It wasn't until I realized. I need a routine too! Not only am I working fulltime, I am working 12 hour nights, on a weekend rotation. This indeed has proved to be a challenge. It has personally been a struggle to find some normality in my day to day life. It all boils down to my work-day-life versus my off-day-life.

Night shift really does take a toll. The sleep deprivation is real. Especially, as an exclusively breastfeeding mom, of a toddler. (She just turned 17 months today- Awww. *cries in mama tears*)

It has been an emotional journey for me watching her grow. 

Ideally, in the beginning of the year, I wanted to set a realistic goal. I started off the year saying that I: 

*Just want to have a  Daily Routine finalized*

…Here we are in April, still trying to make it happen! 

My main goals were: 1. Eat healthier  2. Sleep better 3.Exercise more

In this sense, I have truly accomplished half of those goals. I would say that my eating habits have changed. My husband and I eat rather healthy in our household. We cook indoors and almost never order out. My biggest culprit is the sugar cravings!! Sometimes at work, there will be donuts in the breakroom. Ugh, when you are high on cortisol levels, sleep deprived, or just in general, a sugar addict, you can't say, "No" to the donuts!     Sleeping was a challenge, and it still is a challenge day to day. However, I have found some tricks to help my anxiety, and to help me seize more of a quality sleep. I will share in an upcoming blog post. However, when it comes to exercise. That is almost nonexistent. I am ashamed to say that I need to get up and walk more. This will continue to be my goal moving forward!

Having a daily routine is a staple for self care. Be certain that you are making daily habits that take care of your wellbeing, and nourishing you body & soul. Self care also includes checking off things that you've set aside for later. For some it may include: paying off those bills, reorganizing a corner in your house, donating some clothes, tackling debt, reaching out to those friends who you miss during the pandemic, etc! 

Whatever it means to you, do yourself a favor, and check those boxes off. If you're like me, it is much needed ♥