From one mama to another

It's no secret that I have been in therapy for over a year to help with my PPD and PPA. (Huge shock for you to hear? Well click HERE and HERE to catch up). Now something that comes with that is that once you find ways that are helping, you kind of become obsessed with "what else can I be doing to help with motherhood or every day life"? 

Motherhood is a lot of really great things right? But also it's exhausting, frustrating, lonely and overwhelming. All these negative things. A lot of times those negative emotions take over and feel like they are outweighing all the good that's happening in your life. So we need to ask ourselves, how are we handling these situations? Why do things feel so negative in motherhood? Is it our personality type? Is it situational? 

I am always telling people "go to therapy! go to therapy! its the best! everyone should be in therapy!" Well, that's not really fair  because there are a lot of factors that come with that big of a decision. A lot of people don't feel comfortable talking with a therapist, they can't afford one or they just don't think it's for them. 

The power of social media can be a wonderful thing. I saw a post that talked about this course called "A Thriving Mother" that was made by Lisa Hansen to help mamas who are struggling. Mamas who are wanting to get the most out of their life with motherhood. When I came across it and read "This course teaches you how to be happy, confident, fulfilled and in control of your time and life by knowing and meeting your personal needs." YES PLEASE!

I thought this was so interesting because I know a lot of other moms who are struggling and don't know why they are unhappy, or they do know exactly why but they need some help figuring out how to navigate. And I believe this course is really good for that. Lisa really breaks it down and talks about your CORE NEEDS. She talks about these things that honestly I didn't even think about that were affecting my every day decisions with my kids and then in turn were affecting my mood and life. I am big advocate for HAPPY MOM HAPPY LIFE because like I have said before, if mama isn't happy, the whole house feels it.

What I really liked about Lisa's course was I felt like I was getting a lot of the same benefits of going to therapy but in the comfort of my own home. I wasn't talking to someone directly because it's an online course that you can do at your own pace. You can pause, rewind, fast forward etc. If something happened during the week that I want to reflect on, I can go back to that part of the course and see where I can make adjustments.

Especially right now during a pandemic, you don't truly realize how much the weight of the world is on your shoulders. There is the "everyday weight" we carry from our kids, families, work etc. But now, with politics and everyone being divided on every issue, you don't realize the toll it's taking on you. And while yes we can settle some of that by turning off the news or being very deliberate with how much you watch, that's really just a temporary fix. How do we figure out how to manage these anxieties post pandemic? (whenever that will be). But also just in general, not putting a band aid on your emotions. How can we really appreciate time with our kids and overall live happier lives? Even more so, when we live in a instagram-y world comparing every day. The scary thing about that is, it can take a toll on you and you don't even realize it is and how it's affecting your every day life choices in your home. (The Social Dilemma anyone? Netflix it and thank my later.)

Something else that I want to talk about is, if you are anything like me, it's incredibly hard to spend money on myself. Now my kids? Psssh. Won't even bat an eye. Spending $50 at Target for random things for them, no problem. But $50 on new jeans for myself because I have a hole in them or they don't fit? NEVER. So when you see something that costs a little more, I think it's really easy to find ways to tell yourself you don't really need it. But I think when you change the narrative and see things as less of a luxury and more of an essential, then it really changes your perspective. And If you are not going to prioritize and invest in yourself, WHO WILL? And from a practical stand point, taking her entire course cost less than one session that I have paid for in person therapy. And if you can get some of the benefits of therapy without doing a year long stint like I have? UM, HELLO! That's a steal! And to be honest, really think about what you spend your money on every day. 

The sooner you finally say you are a priority, you are really going to see the fruits of that labor because it bleeds into everything you do. I have been there! Where you don't know why you are unhappy. You don't know why things are the way there are. Or maybe things are going pretty okay and you just feel like you wish you had some tools to make things a little better.

I know this post sounds like a brain dump but I think it's because I just feel so deeply that with this course, you can start feeling better. Now if you are someone who has been kind of thinking of therapy or maybe you just don't know how they feel about it, this course with Lisa is a great alternative to dip your toes in without fully diving into something like seeing a therapist. To understand what you are doing, why you are doing it, and how is that affecting all the things around you like your kids, spouse, family members or work place. 

Near or far, we are each others tribe and community. How can we help each other?

A Thriving Mother Course

Use code: Jenna5 to get $5 off.