Back to School Means Back to Self for Moms

By Guest Contributor , published Sep 15, 2017

Food allergies, being a mom and going back to school after a long summer. These are all factors that make it even more challenging to wake up when the alarm clock goes off. Each year gets a little easier and a little bit harder too. For almost sixteen years, I have been the “Food Allergy Mom”. It’s a role that I am more than happy to step up to every day. Recently, I realized that I am NOT a food allergy mom.

 

I am my own person, separate from whatever I have going on with my son’s food allergies. He’s in High School and I am not the mom who lurks at the class parties anymore. I am not the mom who has to tell him what he can and cannot eat because he knows. I am not the mom pushing forbidden cake away from him or cleaning his desk with wipes. There are no more class parties, he knows that he can’t eat the cake and the desks…well, I hope someone is wiping them down but my son also has that under control.

 

Then, there is just me. Remember, me- that person that was there pre-motherhood? She is still there, she has been there the entire time. She’s whispering in my ear to remind me that it’s time to open up that part of my life again for myself. This sounds so selfish but it’s not. I will always be a mother and my children will always need me. But, it is ok to be more than just a food allergy mom.

 

It is ok to remember that spending time with yourself is still important to you. A time for you and only you- not for everyone else first.  So where do I begin and how do I step back into my old self in a way that my new self won’t feel overwhelmed? I will tell myself exactly what I tell everyone else- don’t over think things.

 

What I Do

None of us wants to make any huge changes because most of us rely on routine to get us through the day. Rather than revamping my schedule, I enhance it and work within it. No harsh changes means no harsh crash and burn failure. It may not be failure but adjustments can tend to feel like that sometimes. This is the easiest method of mixing my old self with my newest self and it can work for you too! Some quick tips that I can share to give you momentum are:

 

 

Feel Renewed From The Inside to The Outside

 I began taking a look at what I was putting into my body and how it reacts. Ingredients can play an important role in health. If you are not feeding your body the correct supplements, your body will tell you. After researching and consulting with my physician, I realized that I needed to make changes. Everyone’s body changes every seven years (give or take) and so should what you are putting into it.

 

Feel Less Pressure Controlling Health

I take a lot of supplements in addition to (trying) to eat a balanced diet. For me, adding a handful of even more supplements made me cringe a little, even if it was for a good cause. My strategy: finding supplements that multitask with me, not against me.

 

One of my favorites is SeaBuckWonders Hair, Skin & Nails. It’s my go-to supplement and one of my secret beauty strategies. After years of being in mommy-mode, I had no time to pay attention to what made me feel beautiful. It's one supplement that covers all my health and beauty needs. Much more convenient than a hand full of supplements!

 

Make Time to Think Less

Being happy and healthy can also include decluttering your mind. It sounds silly but as a mother, a wife and someone who has a mind that allows 3,587 thoughts into it at one time, I don’t have any more room in my brain to think. By giving yourself just 30 minutes a day to stop thinking, you will begin to see how important having “you” time is. Set a time during the day and stick to it. Put your electronics away, listen to music, read that book that has been on your reading list. Or just sit with your eyes closed- whatever you choose, know that you are important enough to have that time and space for yourself.

 

Choose to Be

Going through life day to day on auto-pilot is never healthy for anyone. I forgot that music is there to be listened to and not just to be used for background noise. I forgot that poems and beautiful sayings are meant to be connected to what makes my soul happy. I did remember that it’s never too late to find these things again and enjoy them. Making your family happy is a given. Making your soul happy is necessary every day. Make your soul smile- it’s contagious.

Tracy Bush of Nutrimom Inc

About the Author

Tracy Bush is a Food Allergy Consultant, Author, Blogger, Mother & Self-professed “Kitchen Geek”. Her website AllergyPhoods and media pages are a mixture of product reviews, recipes and advice mixed with a tinge of humor. Her mission- “I write, I cook and I laugh and I aim to make everyone else do the same.”

Written by Guest Contributor

seabuckwonders staff

See all guest contributors to our health & beauty blog Wonders of Sea Buckthorn – including nutrition experts, health bloggers and more. Seabuck Wonders is the Original Sea Buckthorn Company! 

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