It was 3 weeks postpartum and I very distinctly remember that day and how I even felt. I stepped out of home for the first time for an outing that was not to the pediatrician’s.. it was only an appointment at the hair salon but that day changed everything for me. Leaving home and driving the car with my usual blast of favorite music on Pandora had never felt better. And I realized that that was exactly what I needed!
I’m not going to deny that I felt a plethora of emotions in those three weeks post delivery. I was exhausted, both mentally and physically and I felt like I had enough. It was just days and days of recovering, changing diapers and pumping to feed the little one. I remember wondering where the light at the end of the tunnel was?! And oddly, that day driving to the hair appointment, I felt free. I felt like I am in charge again, I felt in control. It may have only been a 20 minute ride to the salon and it had only been three weeks post delivery, but somehow it felt so much longer than that. Looking back, I realize that taking that break to pamper myself was one of the best things I did for myself. And ever since then, I have been taking breaks from mommy duties every week .. it may be a few hours a week or a whole day, but I’m out of home doing something “non-mommy”. And I’m not talking stepping out of home to run errands here. When I take a break, I’m usually shopping at the mall for the blog or I’m at the yoga studio or we’re out at a friend’s place.. but the whole point is to get out of home and not just run errands. And I feel like this break that I get every week is what has been helping me so far keep my sanity intact. It may seem trivial to some but I honestly believe that giving yourself a break for even a few hours in the first few months of your baby’s birth can go a very long way. So all you mamas out there, whether you’re a new mum or not, TAKE A BREAK! Go out there and do something just for yourself. I know that there is a lot of guilt attached to self love, especially for mothers, but I am here to tell you to be selfish for a few hours every week. Spending 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week doing mommy duties is not going to help you or your little one. Do yourself a favor, and pamper yourself with some TLC!
Is there something that you do every week to give yourself a break?
Top – Zara; Jeans – Nordstrom; White Mules – Zara; Bag – H & M; Sunnies – Forever 21
