Nurture. Nourish. Be

Today I really noticed something that I do differently now than at the beginning of my live slow journey which forms part of staying well mentally and physically for me....

I noticed that I am being more caring to myself in the most gentle and subtle of ways.

What do I mean by this...

Well, for example, in the same way that I help my son feel comfortable in his clothes when he gets dressed, I am applying the same time with myself.

On the daily this might look like me rushing less getting dressed in the morning. I put each item on and then take a moment to rearrange so I am comfortable, no tickly label annoyance or bits digging in or twisted sleeves.

It looks like applying my toiletries more slowly and with care for my skin.

I used to watch my Nan get dressed like this and recently watched a friend do it too on a night away.

Its so gentle, soft almost graceful. This way has never my default way. I have always rushed from thing to thing with little thought for my mind or body in this constant rushing behaviour.

This act of self care is so simple yet feels really nourishing for me ❤️

Choosing to conciously live slow in small ways daily has been integral to regulating my nervous system which plays a prominent part in my wellness journey.

Here's an invitation to you for the weekend...

Take time with yourself.
Mother yourself as often as possible.
Treat yourself with the same love, care and attention that you would your newborn baby.

It's THE most nourishing act ❤️❤️

This......❤❤❤

In our society, a mother suffers guilt no matter what she does.⁣
⁣
If she’s on top of her kids making sure everything’s okay, she’s called a helicopter mom, and if she lets them run around as she sits on the side talking to a friend, she’s neglectful.⁣
⁣
If she prefers cooking from scratch and organic everything, her kids are “going to go crazy on junk food when they go to someone else’s house.” And if she feeds them donuts and muffins for breakfast some mornings because she’s in a rush or 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦, then her kids are unhealthy. ⁣
⁣
If she breastfeeds and doesn’t produce enough milk, and her baby isn’t thriving, then she’s a failure. But when she adds formula, she’s more of a failure for not giving her baby all breast milk.⁣
⁣
If she stays home with her kids, she should be working—"how can her family financially keep up?” But if she's working, she's met with "they're only little once."⁣
⁣
If she hasn't lost the postpartum weight, "gosh, she let herself go." But if she did, "wow, she must not eat, spend hours working out, and neglect her children.”⁣
⁣
In a society that knows “everything” and places too many expectations on moms,⁣
If you listen to everyone else,⁣
you’re always going to fall short.⁣
⁣
So, DON’T LISTEN,⁣
and stop feeling bad for your choices.⁣
⁣
Throw those internalized unrealistic expectations away,⁣
and do what’s best for you and your family.⁣
⁣
It’s called 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 for a reason.⁣
⁣
Besides, if you love your children and try,⁣
you’re a good mom.⁣

📸: This Mama Doodles
.....................................................⁣
My Children’s Book 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺: 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘍𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘛𝘰𝘰 is out everywhere: https://amzn.to/317TvVc

When we can learn the art of self-compassion and acceptance, our lives and minds become inherently quieter. Our self-talk becomes nurturing instead of mean and disheartening. We encourage ourselves gently, like we would a child, rather than admonishing our decisions and actions.

Converse more openly with your inner coach who holds your hand and guides you, not your inner critic who dishes out punishment and sometimes unkind physical acts (think comfort eating, exercising too hard, lack of sleep through worry).

Set the intention of self-compassion every single day; it will change your life.

Sleep. It is a key to most ailments as our bodies drift into recovery mode whilst we dream.

Post Partum sleep can be a long lost friend whose address we can never remember. It is almost mythical at some points for most parents but did you know that prioritising sleep and rest is so important for post natal healing and recovery.

Establishing a good sleep routine and ensuring rest is at the top of the list can be tough and may mean the sacrifice of other choices - yes, even the gym and "losing the baby weight" (kill the person who made that a thing to do postnatally (!!)).

Sleep contributes to so many of our hormones, helping to keep them stable and its our hormones that control so many other functions in our body - both physical and mental.

For optimum health, sleep is an absolute must....zzz....zzzz...zzz

Boom.

Nurturing our dreams and goals is crucial for a life of self fulfilment and feeling content. If you could look back and smile about one achievement in your lifetime what would be?

Hoping to get a full dose of NNB at Wanderlust 108 in London next weekend - come join - let's breathe...........

London, UK · Wanderlust Fueled by adidas, this is a 5K (+/-) your way, so don’t sweat it. Or do. Run or walk, prance or skip, stroll or strut—we don’t mind. Just make it to the finish line.