I always thought I'd be the mom who "bounces back" from being pregnant and who would always prioritize my health even though I have a new title called mom. Well, here I am 15 months postpartum realizing that trying to balance it all has been one of the hardest challenges I have faced in my 31 years of life. Here are 3 things I've learned about balancing life as a mom, fitness model and health & fitness coach.
There is only so much time during the day.
What does "healthy & strong" mean to me now?
Changing up my expectations for a new normal.
There is only so much time during the day.
My ideal day use to be quite time in the morning for journaling, reflection & meditation onto a 60 min workout followed by a beautifully crafted breakfast & slow brew before starting my work day. Feeling nourished I was able to pour amazing energy into my clients and crush sales calls all day long. And with lots of time in the evening to cook healthy meals, I had more than enough energy to check off my to do list of certifications, readings & podcasts before getting to bed early....
Now that life sounds like a wild dream! With a 15 month toddler in tow, I'd be lucky if I actually complete an entire workout and finished a chapter before falling asleep (but hey at least I worked out and read)! What I have realized however is that something has to give- we all have the same 24 hours in the day. What is important for me in my life now?... Personally? The top two that fills my cup up would be sleep & nourishment. Even though much of work has been pushed to when baby is down for the night, I safeguard my night time routine & sleep schedule knowing that my body thrives on 8 hours of sleep. And no longer is cooking daily going to work, however spending time on the weekends & finding a healthy meal prep service for my lunches has been key for myself & my family to continue to nourish our bodies not just for health, but for sustained energy and longevity.
What does "healthy & strong" mean to me now?
My workout goals have always been endurance/ performance for collegiate volleyball and later aesthetics for pageant life and modeling. Since I don't have the time to dedicate what is require of either, I have realized that healthy & strong now mean something totally different as a mom. Since throwing out my back 2x since baby was born and feeling completely helpless was less than ideal, I now focus a lot of my workout time on continuing to strengthen my back, core, hips and strengthen my upper body to make sure I can safely pick up this adorable 27 pound baby of mine.
No longer do I focus on going long & hard on the cardio machines for maximum fat burning... Instead I focus on efficient & effective workouts that maximize the precious me time that I do have. And as a health & fitness coach whose job it is to help ladies create the ultimate healthy lifestyle and take back control of their health- I can attest that blocking off time in your busy calendar and making it a non negotiable- can totally help you continue to stay consistent in the gym (or at home gym). And consistency is key to making any sort of change.
Changing up my expectations for a new normal.
Even though the days of doing what I want when I want are over, I realize that finding what is a priority at this point in my life and focusing on that has helped me still feel accomplished and fulfilled. Tweaking my expectations on what my ideal day might look like, how much time I have to workout, how much time I have for social media, how often I can get away for cryotherapy sessions, how long it actually takes to finish a book, has allowed me to accept that I don't have to do it all or have it all together all the time... phew!
Things may take a little longer to get done, but bonding time with my son has been at an all time high. I might not be able to watch all the tv shows I want at night, but I wake up ready to tackle the day. And I might not have the body that I thought I'd have right now, but my energy is high, my health is good, my mood is great and the family is healthy. Adjusting my expectations isn't so bad after all!
Even though I've had to rid of some old non- negotiables
for the sake of maximizing my daylight hours, reassess what healthy means to me and tweak my expectations of what a normal day and week look like... the reward has been feeling more balanced and less stressed knowing I'm taking off some pressure to be a super mom, super model and super coach. I hope this can inspire other hard working moms out there that no one is perfect, no life is perfect and as long as you are putting your best foot forward, the universe will make sure you are exactly where you need to be.
In Love & Light,
Chelsea
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