Often as mom’s, wives, caregivers, etc…as women, we tend to take care of others before we take care of ourselves.
I am so guilty of this on so many levels. I preach this saying to friends all the time “You have to take care of yourself so you can be your best for them!” Until very recently (as in the recent weeks that have passed) I never have taken my advice. Now I am finally taking care of me!
Top 5 ways I Neglect(ed) Myself:
- I never go to bed when I should resulting in six years of exhaustion. (Also to be blamed on kids that really suck at sleeping.)
- I don’t usually eat the right foods, excuse being that I don’t have time.
- Not enough exercise (until six weeks ago when I started The Daily Method 60 Day Challenge).
- I always overextend myself and don’t ask for help often enough.
- I don’t make time for “Me”, resulting in feeling overwhelmed and grumpy! (The Daily Method has also changed this for me!)
After the second child, Princess Sweetie Pie was born I had a really hard time balancing my new life with two kids. I was so concerned about Princess P and being sure that the transition into being a big sister was a positive change for her. This was even more challenging due to an unplanned c-section and complications with my incision healing properly.
Trying to balance two little girls, a healing incision and normal life.
Time flies when you’re having fun though! {Sarcastic tone}
As the process of Princess Sweetie Pie weaning off nursing, the realization of postpartum Depression became more clear (to everyone but me).
I just wasn’t myself. I wasn’t taking care of me. I wasn’t happy, although I had nothing to be unhappy about. I was blessed with these two healthy and beautiful girls, a loving and supportive husband and a network of family and friends all around me.
One afternoon, I burst into tears, seemingly out of nowhere. I was sitting on the couch with my “net-book” laptop. I was so sad suddenly. I was sad because the words on the screen weren’t sharp, they were blurry, I was constantly straining my eyes when working on the laptop or on my iPhone. This is a bummer, as you can read about in my post, LASIK Gone Lame, but really this is nothing I would normally burst into tears over. This was the moment of realization. What in the world was going on with me??
I found my hubby deep into a google search. He said “Babe, I really think you should go see your doctor. I found a bunch of stuff linking weaning breast-fed babies and depression.”
I am forever grateful for his concern and love, without his push I would have never asked for my doctor’s help. I got in to see the doctor within days. This is where I learned about how common this was. I was prescribed some medicine and scheduled a follow-up.
Hormones are powerful.
This was the start of the journey I’ve been on over the past two years, leading me back to being “myself” and taking care of me.
Two weeks ago I had my annual physical. I had made the decision to talk with my doctor about going off the antidepressants. She was so supportive She said “Tiffany, this is going to be your year. We are going to get you mentally and physically healthier than ever and you will feel great!”
When I left my appointment I was motivated to follow through on that promise. This will be my year! I made an appointment for an eye exam and to get a spot on my shin checked out by a dermatologist. The following day, I started to decrease the dose of my medication.
So far so good. My eye exam resulted in needing a stronger prescription, but if I hadn’t taken the time to take care of me, I would not be getting new glasses and contacts that help me see better. Besides, getting new glasses is fun!
What about these glasses?
The appointment for my leg resulted in a biopsy that I will get results on in a couple weeks, but the doctor is very confidant that it’s not cancer!
The biopsy site.
The Dailey Method has changed my life. I am stronger mentally and physically. I look forward to it being a part of my weekly routine. I have learned how strong I am and how I can shut down my mind and focus on just my body. This is a gift. You can read more about my Dailey Method experience by reading my post, The Dailey Method: An Unexpected Love Affair.
5 Ways I will be Taking Care of Me:
- I will go to sleep at a decent time and be rested (most of the time) 😉
- I will make better choices in how I fuel my body, healthier and fresh foods often.
- When The Dailey Method 60 Day Challenge is over, my own personal challenge will continue with their program.
- I will say “no” and ask for help more, and be okay with it.
- Through The Dailey Method I will make more “Me” time and not feel bad about it.
Do you neglect yourself because you are so busy taking care of others? Did you have any experiences with Postpartum Depression? How do you take care of you?
Tootles,
Disclaimer: I am participating in The Dailey Method 60 Day challenge at no charge in exchange for writing blog posts about my experience. As always, all opinions and experiences in this post are my own.
So proud of you! Sometimes we use our being too busy as an excuse for not dealing with health issues; but as you point out, it is part of our responsibility to be well for others (if not for ourselves). Don’t forget to throw in some fun time too, and not feeling guilty about it was always my challenge. You know, our hubbies and babies want us to be happy and healthy.
Thank you Anna, it’s so true that we use being too busy to not make time for ourselves. I am feeling good about making myself better and taking care of me. The guilt is hard, but I’m trying to push that away. 😉 Also happy to report that the test results for my leg came back good and it’s nothing to worry about further!
I’m glad you are making YOU a priority. It is so hard to do when you have little ones. It just came so easy before kids, but it’s like we forget how to do it now. I am using you as inspiration to get my mole checked out and schedule a physical in the coming weeks. Hold me to it!
Elizabeth, thank you! It is so hard! It’s easy to watch parents make things look easy until you are in that role 24/7. I stand by my advice “You have to take care of yourself so you can be your best for them.” “Them” is whomever it may be that you care for, as you know. Make that appointment, even if it might be nothing, better to know than not to know!