Self Care :: Tune Into Yourself, Mom – You Deserve It

As I am typing this, it’s now Day 15 of my Autumn Reset. Two weeks down and one more to go! It’s been both an eye opening and beautiful journey all at the same time. I feel good, I do, and it really hasn’t been that hard… The idea behind an Autumn Reset is based around the upcoming change in season, the full moon and puts how we pass the time into a greater perspective.

So far, I’m eating less, and eating more healthy foods. I’m taking time for myself for the little things that do so much like stretching, yoga, and relaxing. I’m only drinking hot tea instead of coffee (something that I never thought I’d do and didn’t do until Day 4). I’m drinking a lightly caffeinated flavor for breakfast, an afternoon herbal blend, and a sleepy bedtime tea – before bed and a TON of water! I’m going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. I took a long hard look at my daily routines and made some adjustments that better suit me. I’ve stopped pushing myself to accomplish the maximum in every day. I’ve thought about adapting new things that might help me feel like the days aren’t that hard. I’ve started cooking for myself again when my kiddo is with his dad, which was something that I had stopped doing some months back. (That’s one of the signs of Start-Up Burnout that I spoke about in my last post.) I’m much more present, healthy, and relaxed, and get this one – I genuinely feel cared for.

Maybe some of you are now wondering “What is a Reset?”

Well, it’s basically what I’ve described above – taking the time to tune into you. What are you eating? How does it make you feel? How are you sleeping? Are you waking up rested? What does your daily routine look like? How are you feeling while you are navigating your day? Are you actively working towards the things that you want to accomplish, for YOU?

It should last 3 weeks (21 full days) to get the most out of the process. It’s always good to write things down along the way so that you can track your progress on paper and think about it later. Giving yourself grace is the biggest asset you will have especially with kids running around. It’s not always convenient to do these things every day for 21 days but the point is that you try and navigate it as best as you can. Removing things like alcohol and other food triggers especially foods that are considered inflammatory like processed meats, sugar, fried foods, sodas, and refined carbohydrates. I’ve included a good poster that I found on the Harvard Health website, which also has a plethora of information on the Anti-Inflammatory Diet.

Foods That Fight Inflammation

I’d also like to point out that I am not an advocate for the term “Diet.” The foods that we eat are a choice and they should be considered a “Lifestyle.” I do not condone doing anything temporarily as the term “Diet” implies. I think that we have gotten as far away as humanly possible from intentional eating as we can get and that we should take the time and space to consider a different approach to long-term healthy eating habits. Take it step-by-step, it’s easier, more meaningful, and has a greater chance for longer lasting effects.

In my last post on Self Care, I made a list for myself of some things that I was hoping to uncover, think about, and address. I’ve listed them again below and any answers that I’ve been able to now see:

Some questions that I was hoping to answer by the end of this are:

  • What am I eating?

I took inventory. And, although I already don’t drink alcohol, eat mostly organic, and do not eat dairy or soy (I’m allergic), I was, however, eating more processed foods and gluten-based foods than I realized. What I have learned about my body over the years is that the extra ingredients that get snuck into processed foods during the manufacturing process cause me to develop severe inflammation in my body. I’ve also learned that my metabolism is as slow as a snail, and I have to actively do things to speed it up. You can speed up your metabolism by exercising more, weight training, eating fat-burning foods, and wait for it….

You can speed up your metabolism just by getting a good night’s rest! Did you realize that how you sleep and what you eat are in fact connected to how you feel?

The tips that I’ve listed above for speeding up your metabolism are just scratching the surface. The more you begin to tune into your diet and how it makes you feel, the deeper you will get into it.

Whenever I take these items out of my diet or consciously eat less of them, the weight drops off and I feel better. I think it’s really important to insert here that for me, it’s not about the weight, but rather all about how I feel. It’s almost like a cloud gets lifted and I can see the world, lighter and EASIER!

  • Is what I’m eating considered healthy?

Well, yes and no. It’s more of a kind of. I feel like Americans are just eating. We are eating for entertainment when we go out to dinner. We are eating whatever is faster and easier because our personal lives have become too busy to be able to manage eating healthy. It’s not that I wasn’t eating healthy, it was that I wasn’t eating intentionally. Many of you may have begun to take a deeper inventory of these things during quarantine at the beginning of the pandemic. If so I’d love to read any comments and tips that you might have below!

A good tip is to think about the grocery store layout. Meats / Seafood, Bread, Dairy, and Produce are all along the outer rim of the store with everything manufactured (processed) in the middle isles. Is the ratio of what you eat more within the inner isles or outer circle? Is it imbalanced?

  • How does it make me feel?

  • How am I treating myself?

I honestly wasn’t being very nice to myself. Skipping meals, taking easier routes to the meals that I was eating even though they weren’t going to give me the nourishment that I needed, and overall driving my ship way too fast and not stopping often. This makes me feel terrible. So, why am I doing it?

  • How are other parents teaching their kiddos these things?

So far, from my discussions with close friends in our immediate “Mom Circle” there is only a handful that actively try to live life at a slower pace and talk to their kids about food as nourishment. I’m going to keep discussing it and if you see me out and about and want to chat – I would love nothing more!

  • Are my routines too complicated?

The only routine that I could probably say was too complicated was my skincare routine but being as though I am now in my 40s, there are zero changes happening there. LOL!

I will say that the routines in general were too fast because I have been jamming in things that aren’t essential. This is a work in progress and something that I will talk about more in the wrap-up.

  • How is my gut health really going these days?

Not great, but definitely better than say 5 years ago! This should be an ongoing conversation with yourself (and your family!). It’s not, and should not be, an overnight fix.

  • What are some ways that I can create more balance in everyday life?

Do less to be able to do more! (insert exploding brain emoji here!) If you are tired, slow down. If you feel like you need ”xyz” for yourself, give it to yourself! YOU OBVIOUSLY NEED IT!

  • What are the things that derail me from being my most present?

Annnnnnd the Queen of a To-Do list is openly admitting … a To-Do list!

During my almost 11-year journey of being a mom, there have been times when I was afraid to tune into myself. Constantly feeling like “if I unwind will our world fall apart?” I’ve battled this idea that I have to be a certain way, do certain things, do all the things especially as a Single Mom because that’s what you have to do as a mother – but I’m here to tell you, you don’t. All you have to do is YOU. The rest falls into place.

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