I’m here…I’m back.

Hello. Hello, blog. I’m still here.

Sometimes I have to remind myself of that. I’m still here.

This past year has been the best and the hardest year. Actually, the past 18 months have been the most challenging.

On March 10, 2020 I found out I was pregnant. It was such great news. That week was also my last week of my Master’s program and the week before Spring Break. I was so excited and so nervous for what was to come. On March 12th I got a text saying we were going on Spring Break early and for 2 weeks because of Coronavirus. On March 13th I got a text saying our last class for my program would be virtual. On March 15th, we went to brunch for my friend’s birthday. We hugged at the end of the brunch, a group hug in a rebellious act against this COVID-19. By the following week our state had essentially shut down.

No one knew, but my husband and I, that we were pregnant. On that Monday the 16th we had our first doctor’s appointment and ultrasound. It was one of the last ones my husband would get to attend. I would not have a baby shower, I would announce my pregnancy via text message and video chat. I would not see my own mom for months. I would not teach inside my classroom for a full year.

Luckily, I got to have my son, with my husband present. Luckily, I got to spend the first 5 months of my son’s life at home with him while simultaneously teaching. This meant that I now have students who love and are as attached to my son as family because they saw him nearly every day on our video calls.

I missed out on mom groups though and so I was feeling very isolated. Between being in lockdown and the sadness that comes with missing all the pregnancy firsts I started losing myself. I stopped writing. I stopped cooking and baking for pleasure. I just stopped existing as Jessica.

So now, nearly a year after my son was born, I’m trying to find who Jessica is outside of the stresses of teaching and outside of just being mom. Mom is my favorite job title I’ve ever held, but it’s not my identity and grappling with that has been a struggle. I’m looking to bring back the blog to document finding myself again. I think it’s relatable not just to moms but everyone post pandemic (during pandemic? Is it ever going to end?) I have started working on the physical. I’ve lost 17 pounds in the last few months, but I also gained about 45 during pregnancy. I want to feel better. I want to reconnect with my creativity. This is not just for me, though a big part, but so I can be my best self for both my son and my husband who are my whole world.

If you connect with this, give me a follow and come along with me on this journey of self-discovery and getting back to the root of being Jessica.

The Benefits of a Morning Routine

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/elfsternberg/

I have written anything in a really long time. My life has been in a constant state of chaos lately between, work, school, moving, maintaining relationships, taking care of pets and their plethora of health problems, and trying to maintain my own sanity. I was really feeling uninspired and stressed by everything.

This past weekend I completed my move into a new apartment, which I needed to do for many reasons. So with a new space came the desire to create a new routine. This week I’ve been waking up slightly earlier and doing a quick morning yoga practice and meditation to become more present, then I journal, and sometimes I pull out my goddess oracle cards just to give me some inspiration. It’s amazing what a mood shift this has created for me throughout my day. Even one day this week, I had barely slept and then had woken up way too early. I sat down on my mat and began my practice. By the time I was finished, I had forgotten how exhausted I truly was.

Everyone from Richard Branson to Mark Zuckerburg talk about the importance of a morning routine. Some of their’s are a little extreme for my liking, like eating the same thing for breakfast every day to prevent “mental fatigue.” That, I’m not into, but I can see the benefits on my mood for the entire day. I even see the benefits in my energy.

Recently, I read the book The Joy of Less by Francine Jay. She says to start with a 5- minute activity (meditation, reading, journaling) and then gradually add on until you have a morning routine that benefits you. I jumped right in and went to about 20 minutes, but so far it’s working for me.

Here is what it currently looks like:

Yoga practice 5-7 minutes

Meditation 5-10 minutes

Journaling/Goddess cards 3-5 minutes

I think in the future mine will grow, I would love more yoga in the morning, but that would also require waking up earlier than I do, which is already pretty early. But maybe the motivation will hit with more consistency. I will say that I find it incredible that in 20-minutes or less, I can change the whole trajectory of my day.

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

The past few months have been difficult for me. There have been a lot of highs and lows. I’m a full-time 5th-grade teacher which I love more than anything. I’m about to start my Master’s degree in Education Leadership and Policy Studies. However, recently, I learned that I haven’t really taken care of myself all that well. I went to the doctor and learned that I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and then I also had a cancer scare. Luckily, the abnormal cells were just inflamed cells. However, this made me re-evaluate how I was taking care of myself. I realized I was overworked, eating the wrong foods, not getting enough sleep and definitely stressed out.

I was also officially diagnosed with an anxiety disorder which is exacerbated by PCOS and definitely exacerbated by the wrong foods and not having enough sleep.

This is what lead me to want to research how to take better care of myself and hopefully help other people take care of themselves. Whether you have some kind of illness or just want to feel better overall, hopefully, this blog will help you. I’m going to be posting my trials and tribulations and discussing what works and what doesn’t…for me. I’m not a nutritionist, I’m not a doctor, I’m not a fitness guru. I’m just the average human being, teaching smaller human beings and wanting to live a happier healthier life.

 

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton