This feels like such a weird post to write. First of all, I am by no means an expert in this subject. In fact, I’m coming to you as a novice in the matter, really. We all know self-care is important. We’ve all read an ample number of blog posts on the matter. I know that taking care of myself on a basic level, things like exercising, eating well, going to my doctors’ appointments, taking space mentally, are all important. I definitely know that.
But knowing and doing are two totally different things.
I *know* full well how important nutrition is. I have a degree in Nutrition and practiced as a Registered Dietitian.
I *know* how important regular exercise is. I love exercising. Not in a “I’m going to go run marathons” kind of way, but I love the way it makes my body and my mind feel. I love getting out of my normal daily stuff to just literally work it out.
I *know* it’s important to go for regular physicals, see the gynecologist, get my teeth cleaned and checked. I used to always do these things – before life got crazy.
I *know* making space for some mental down time is important. Whether it’s through quiet time or a walk alone. Whether it’s just reading a book or even sitting in silence. I know this is key.
But knowing and doing are totally different things.
We can know everything, but still not do. Life gets in the way. And as moms, we tend to put everyone else before us. It’s hard to go to the doctor when everyone else has more pressing appointments. Or you have to find and pay a babysitter just to do it.
It’s hard to get a good meal in when you don’t even get to sit down to eat. Or when you’re prepping three different meals because obviously no two children would eat the same food, so you end up eating off their plates because who has the energy to fix a fourth meal for lunch. It’s hard to invest in ourselves. It’s hard to invest in myself. I’ve spent time doing this well and time doing this poorly.
Last year I made goals to do some things for me. Some of those goals I met and some of those goals I didn’t even touch. So this year I have decided to continue forward. One of the things I started last year was fixing my smile. Long story short, my neighbor, a dental professional {hi Dr. Kimrey!}, noticed I never smiled with my teeth and approached me about changing that. I took the leap and started doing Invisalign, and I’m so glad I did. This has helped me to see that it’s worth it to take the time and invest the resources (time being the biggest one) in myself.
It’s been fun to see progress over such a short period of time with my smile, and it makes me excited to do that in other areas too. I got more into skincare and started to experiment with different things rather than just doing what someone told me to do, and I’ve seen great results. I’m still working on a lot of those other things I’ve listed above – baby steps, right? But it’s exciting and not just burdensome to be investing in me again. And as corny as that sounds, I’m really glad to be there.
