Overworked and Undernourished: Embracing the Slow Life

Do you resonate with this? Living life by the seat of your pants, rushing here and rushing there running on caffeine and sugar. Some call it #mumlife but I like to call it a disaster waiting to happen.

See, I was one of these people, in fact, I was one of these people even before I had my children. But, when my children came along it made the crash into postnatal depression *a lot* harder.

What I realise now, is that I had set myself up for failure. Overworking and undernourishing myself and not gaining anything.

Embracing the slow life and addressing my mental health was my first step to recovery. I postponed returning to work after the birth of my second so that I could focus solely on my mental health. This meant practicing being present, learning to let go of control and lowering my standards. Practising the art of Mindfulness has helped *immensely* with learning to go slow, and to be ok with that when everyone around you seems to be running a million miles an hour and wearing it like a badge of honour.

I still have a long way to go, it’s not that simple to just embrace the slow life when you have two children under 3 and running two businesses.

Beyond that, nourishing my body [and mind] with food that my body instinctively craves is how I approach Nutrition. Eating well might look different for each of us, it might look like a vegetarian, vegan, paleo or keto inspired way of eating. The important part is eating to fuel *your* body.

So how do you know what fuels your body? Taking the time to connect with yourself, your body and what your cravings might mean is a great place to start.

Developing self-awareness and understanding of how your body feels after eating certain foods gives you some great insights into what your body needs to feel good.

Secondly, challenging your mindset around food as a source of nourishment, and not punishment. Food serves as not only nourishment but a way to connect us with people, and to connect us with experiences. Often when we think of the taste or aromas of food it might transport us back to a place and time where we illicit those feelings that we felt. The choice of food is not just about how to nourish, but how do we want to feel?

When you feel better and when you feel good, then you’re likely to repeat. Tuning into how we truly feel after a meal or symptoms that certain foods might promote, then it will give us great insight into what foods work well for our bodies. I try to incorporate all of the food groups into my diet (I have no allergies) and as a guide, I like to eat the rainbow… (not the skittles rainbow) a colourful range of vegetables and a variety of fruits. I enjoy pasta’s and bread but just in smaller portions. If I’m out with friends, I eat until I feel full, and I don’t feel guilty about dessert.

I apply this same philosophy to movement/exercise. Instead of doing certain exercise or sport that I think I *should* be doing, I have chosen to explore movement that feels good on my body, and for me, that’s Barre, Yoga, and Pilates. I don’t focus on the scales, I focus on what energises me, what challenges me and most importantly, what feels good to my body.

Establishing boundaries in my personal and business life has allowed me to prioritise these areas of my wellness that are so crucial to ensure that I function at my optimum. The domino effects? I’m a better Mum, better wife, better business owner.

Need help in defining and achieving your wellness goals? As a Nutritionist and Wellness Coach, I work with buys Mum’s just like you to prioritise their health and reach their optimum wellness.

Get in touch today for your free clarity call.

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