Why is Finding Motivation so Difficult After Baby?
If you are anything like I was, life changed so abruptly after having my babies. I used to be so motivated to get out at be active, go to yoga or go to an exercise class, but after having my kids, it took a lot of extra work to get myself moving.
The thing is, everything DOES change after having kids. Your time is used differently, someone is relying on you for every little thing in life, not to mention, all the people that relied on you before are still relying on you now. All five big areas of life are all affected by this small person entering your life.
Health - It’s obvious your body is different during pregnancy and after. it takes time and effort to get to know and love your new body! It’s hard to find the time to get yourself to the gym or even sit down by yourself to meditate or just breathe. Health is about a lot more than physical health and after having a baby, you have to put in the effort to feel good mentally, emotionally and physically!
Financial - It’s also no surprise that babies are expensive. It’s harder to budget and not as easy to get whatever you what whenever you want it when you have a baby who needs diapers, wipes, food, a bed, etc. Not to mention the different financial obligations that come with bigger cars, more gas tank fill-ups, and a bigger house with a yard. These changes don’t always happen right away but they are things you may need to think about after having a baby (actually during pregnancy too).
Career - And what about your job?!? Do you go back? Do you get 12 weeks off with your babe? 8 weeks? 6 weeks? Do you WANT to go back? Are you willing to give up your career dreams to be home with your kids? How will your finances be affected by this decision? No one but you knows the answers to these questions, and there are NO wrong answers, but it’s something we all need to consider.
Relationship - Your relationship with your spouse/significant other changes as does your relationship with everyone around you when you have a baby. You have to take the time to continue to nurture and grow these old relationships as well as the new one with your baby.
Connection to something greater - Maybe you believe in God, maybe you don’t, but all of us have some connection to something greater than ourselves. This relationship also needs to continue to be nurtured and grown for us to truly find fulfillment and joy in our lives. Another thing that requires our ability to juggle our schedule along with everything above.
All of these changes require our time, attention and effort, and time has recently become more restricted due to, you know, HAVING A BABY! You can’t be struggling in one of these areas of life and be perfectly functioning in others. They interact and weave together and we need to work not just on physically feeling better but also emotionally, financially, spiritually and in our careers and our relationships.
I know for me, this felt EXTREMELY overwhelming. I came to a point where I was feeling so unhappy and down, I knew I needed to make a change but I didn’t know where to start. For me, it made the most sense to focus on physically feeling better. I felt I had the most control over this area, so I joined a gym. That day completely changed the course of my postpartum experience as well as my life. Maybe you feel the same way, overwhelmed, not sure where to start, but you know something needs to change. And maybe you are like me in thinking that it is the easiest to control the journey towards physical health and well-being.
If that sounds like you, but it still feels a little like you are afraid to start, afraid you are going to make a mistake or do more damage than good, I have a FREE downloadable PDF “5 Tips for Return to Exercise After Baby”. It gives you a few ideas and hopefully some inspiration that it’s ok to take time for yourself and how to feel good about doing it!