Hey momma! Get your SELF back, or don’t lose her in the first place.
One of the first things I coach to when I work with expecting moms who don’t want to lose themselves in motherhood, is getting reacquainted with your SELF. I really ask you to dig deep and get down to the nitty gritty of what makes you, YOU. If you are a new or expecting mom who is looking around at all the women who have turned into completely different (more irritable) versions of themselves, stop. Stop looking at them. Let’s get back to you. Look in the mirror. Who are you? Before you are asking yourself “what happened to me?”, take a look at who you are and what lights you up NOW. Talk to your parents or someone who knew you as a child. What would they say they remember you being passionate about? Talk to your best friend. What would she say is your favourite thing to do? Ask your husband. What did he fall in love with?
Me? I have many passions but there has always been one core thing that everything else stems from. I think if you ask anyone who knows me, they would agree. I have always loved art and beautiful clothes and makeup. Those things are actually just extensions of the core of me which is my love for creating. Whether it’s on a canvas or through clothes or on a face. I love to create pretty. That’s me in a nutshell. It also extends to my home decor and my cooking, and my nails, and on and on. I just like to make things look beautiful.
When I was pregnant, I knew I couldn’t lose that once I had kids. I was scared I wouldn’t have time to put on makeup or paint the beautiful paintings I love to paint. I wasn’t sure if I would be interested in fashion anymore with two kids in tow. But just the mere intention of not WANTING to lose it, helped me start thinking about how to make sure I didn’t. I intentionally planned ahead to make sure I would have TIME to do all those things.
Im happy to report that today, 4 years later, I haven’t lost my passion to create. I just don’t showcase it much because I’m always busy behind the camera capturing moments of my kids. This week I have been thinking about how I can make my Instagram more engaging and be something that truly reflects ME. And a lightbulb went off. It seems obvious now but I have really been struggling for ideas! Time to get back to ME. Time to showcase what I love to create. Time to inspire women like you. If you follow me on IG, you’ll start to notice a change in what I post. If you don’t, you should start! Just click on the little camera at the top right of this page!
Now I want to hear from you. If you are a pregnant or new mom (or even just thinking of trying), what is something you LOVE to do now that you don’t want to lose when you are a mom? And how will you make sure that doesn’t happen? A tip? Talk to your partner. Get him to tell you what he thinks your hobbies and passions are. Get him to tell you what he loves about you. And then talk to him about helping make sure you don’t lose it. If you are a mom who feels that she has had to put her SELF on the back burner, it’s not too late. Go back to your pre baby days and think about what you loved to do that you have stopped doing. Talk to your partner about what he has noticed. And then make a plan to get it back. You can do it. I want to hear from you too. Comment below and commit to whatever it is that you want to get back to!