This is a sponsored conversation brought to you by The Incredible Egg. As always, all opinions are my own.
After having a baby, your entire world changes. Everyone tells you that it will, but until you go through it, you really cannot understand the magnitude of the change that is to occur. These little creatures rely on you for everything, and as women and mothers, we often put ourselves last. Unfortunately, if you continue to let your own well-being fall to the wayside, you may find yourself in a very unhealthy and unhappy place. Finding your “happy” whether you are a mother or not takes time and work and, for me, 2019 is going to be all about living a “happiness centered life”. Building a new lifestyle takes time and finding true happiness is simply a work in progress.
For as long as I can remember, I have been a little worker bee. I overextended and often undervalued myself. I would work myself into the ground, say YES to every opportunity and plastered a smile on my face to mask how I really felt. Sound familiar? If it does, join in me in working towards building true happiness in 2019. Having a baby has forced me to think about what I want out of my life. When I set out on this journey of health and wellness, I never knew what joy a career in this industry could bring, but in the chaos of raising this tiny human, moving across the country and trying to find a new normal, I found myself unrecognizable and gave myself a deadline of Jan 1, 2019 to begin work on living my happiest life as I juggle time between working, raising a sweet baby boy and getting settled in a new city.
This is not the first time I have had to work towards finding my true happy and I wanted to share the steps with you if you are not currently living “your best life”. My advice is to practice the following:
Check In With Myself Daily:
- Daily check in’s offer you a moment throughout your day to decide what you need to feel your best. Check in with yourself body, mind and soul and decide what will make you feel your best. Schedule a workout, take time to breathe or schedule time with girlfriends to feed your soul. Checking in with myself daily enables me to take my happiness into my own hands and do things that truly make me feel good.
Make Conscious Food Choices
- Making positive choices about my food had become second nature for me until I became a mom. Now, I often find myself putting baby’s needs ahead of my own and I need to make sure to find time to meal prep and fit in three meals a day and two snacks to keep my blood sugar stable and energy up throughout the day.
- Choosing foods to include: high-quality protein, such as eggs, salmon and grass-fed beef, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and tons of water. Adding high-quality protein, carbohydrates and fat into daily meals can help keep you full and focused on other obtainable life changes to improve your mind, body and soul.
- I LOVE eggs because they are a nutrition powerhouse, with one large egg containing 6 grams of high-quality protein and nine essential amino acids, all for 70 calories. I usually have at least one per day, especially during my pregnancy. You see, there are several nutrients that are uniquely found in eggs. For example, eggs are one of the richest food sources of choline, which is important for fetal brain development and maintaining optimal brain function later in life. Eggs are also one of the only natural sources of vitamin D, providing 41 IU per large egg. Don’t even think about throwing away the yolk! The yolk contains fat soluble vitamins like vitamin D, E and A. So top off avocado toast with an egg or cook your egg in a little coconut oil to get the most nutritional “bang for your buck”. For more information about eggs, check out IncredibleEgg.org!
- For me, a sample day of high-energy eating looks like:
- Breakfast: 1 Egg, ¼ avocado on sprouted toast and ½ Cup of berries
- AM Snack: 1 apple with 1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter
- Lunch: Romaine and spinach salad with cucumber, tomato, chopped egg, red onion, ½ apple and 3 oz. of chicken breast with honey mustard dressing.
- PM Snack: 2 Tbsp. of hummus with ½ Cup mixed veggies (carrots and peppers)
- Dinner: 3-4 oz. of Wild Caught Salmon, ¼ Cup brown rice and 1 cup sautéed spinach in coconut oil.
- Dessert: ¼ Cup of raspberries dipped or filled with dark chocolate
- Staying properly hydrated throughout the day is almost part of making healthy choices. We are made up of 50-75% water and sometimes hitting hydration goals is hard to do! I like to aim to drink half of my body weight in ounces daily. So, I purchase a large water bottle that is roughly 35 ounces and aim to drink at least two per day. If I exercise or have coffee or something caffeinated like black tea, I try to drink a little extra!
If all else fails, like lack of time for exercise or meditation, nutrition is always my true north. I need my energy and positive mindset now more than ever. The brain–gut connection is a powerful one and I will be making sure to use food as fuel as it simply equates to a happy, healthy mind.
More Communication
Most conflict simply stems from a lack of communication. Think about it: the last time you had a fight with your partner, family member or friend, could you have communicated your thoughts better? Could you have simply said ‘I am sorry you feel that way’ and talked it out rather than harbor anger? For me, I have had to work on becoming an effective communicator. Having a baby leads to hormonal changes and sleep deprivation, which is a recipe for disaster! Effectively communicating with those closest to me will be a priority this year. I always feel lighter after expressing what is on my mind. I can let it go and move on. So whether it is in my marriage, extended family, friends or co-workers, I want to improve upon my communication skills and “let go, let flow.”
Saying No
To this day, I have a hard time saying no. No to dinner invitations, work functions or opportunities, and I often find myself spread too thin. Sometimes saying YES can lead to unexpected adventures, but sometimes saying YES too often can lead to anger, exhaustion and resentment. Right now, I am exclusively breastfeeding, but come January we will start baby on solids, which means I will have more freedom. I plan on saying yes to more events and date nights, but saying no when I need to say no will be my priority.
Scheduling Date Night
My husband and I have been together for eleven years and having a baby, moving from Florida to California and changing jobs all within a few month’s time left little time for a social life. I have barely had a moment to come up for air, let alone enjoy a leisurely date night without family around. When family does come to town, which has been twice in the past six months, we made sure to leave the baby talk at the door and enjoy a date night filled with laughter and a good glass of wine. Before baby, we loved nice dinners and traveling. CJ was actually conceived in China, and although we do not have the luxury of hopping on a plane on a moment’s notice, my goal is to hire a babysitter and make date nights happen at least twice a month. Yes, date nights allow you to get dolled up and get out of the house, but they also help you keep the spark and connect with your partner.
More Exploration
This is our third city that Cory and I lived in together; Portland, Miami and now Northern California. There is so much to explore here, from beautiful beaches to city life, and an abundance of hiking; we want to see it all! Every month I would like to take a day or weekend to explore our new home! It is human nature to be a creature of habit so I want to encourage you to explore your area more. Maybe plan on doing something fueled by nature this month or something unexpected in your city next month. I lived in New York my whole life and never made it to the Statue of Liberty! Can you believe that? Who says you can’t be a tourist if you live in your city? Take a weekend to explore the outskirts or get lost in your city!
Taking a Monthly Digital Detox
October to November we had so much going on that it was difficult to update my blog and be active on social media. Social media can be double-edged sword. It can make you feel connected and disconnected at the same time. During this time of transition, I took a bit of a social break and did not feel the need to share every single second of our life. To be honest, it was refreshing! When I am sharing a glass of wine with my husband or mid snuggles, I have been more conscious about putting the phone away and soaking in the little moments. Find a time with your family to go cell phone-free and take the time to connect wholly and fully.
Make Time For Friends
I have always been one to make my girlfriends a priority. I was never one of those women who let friendships fall to the wayside because of a guy…until now. Baby boy takes up all of my time and scheduling time with girlfriends in the New Year to sweat or have a glass of wine with will be of the utmost importance! Since I was in Brownies as a girl, I’ve believed in their motto: “Make new friends, but keep the old” which is which is why I have had friendships since elementary school, but I am looking forward to cultivating and nurturing new friendships this year because there is nothing like a new chapter and new relationships to fill your happiness bucket.
Do Something For Myself Once at Least Per Week
Before kids there was plenty of time to grab a mani/pedi or a workout class. These days, the time is much more limited. In all honesty, I need a bit of time to myself every now and again and am determined not to feel guilty about it. In 2019, I am going to do something for myself every week. Whether it is for an hour or four hours away, it is important to incorporate a bit of self-care into your weekly routine. Self-care makes you feel more confident and comfortable in the skin you are in and allows you to decompress. Kids or not, everyone deserves to be pampered every once and a while.
Obviously, 2018 has been a huge year for my family and I. As we work towards finding our new normal, happiness is now our ultimate goal. The past few years have been all about career, career, career and this year will be about finding the “happy now”. I will be focusing on the above and life’s simple pleasures to create a happiness-centered life and would love for you to join me! Comment below with a way you are going to put your happiness first in 2019.
