Hi! I'm still Jill!

Don't lose who you are in the process of becoming other titles.

I had two huge concerns going into motherhood-

1. I did not want to lose who Chad and I were as a couple.

2. I did not want to lose myself.

As I have mentioned in a previous blog post - I shared some tips on how to keep the "love" alive after having a baby. It takes a lot of effort and communication but it is absolutely doable and NECESSARY.

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Number 1 concern - losing myself.

I am not fully sure what my thought process was but I was convinced my whole entire personality was going to change because I was going to be a Mom. Truth is - my silliness has enhanced, I laugh harder at poop and farts more than I did before, I sing louder, I dance like a lunatic, I do everything possible to get my child to giggle, and I give way less shits about what people think of me.

Motherhood is a huge transformation, some days you may feel like a complete failure and others you may feel like a rockstar.

I am very new to the transition but the one detail that has helped me SO MUCH is to take care of ME. I cannot be the best wife, mother, or teacher if I don't pour into my cup first.

At the beginning of the pandemic (not pregnant) I discovered a morning routine I loved. Since I was teaching from home, the only worry I had was logging into my google meet by 9:00am.

Pre-pregnancy morning routine (beginning of pandemic) :

6:00 / 6:30 am wake up

meditate / breathing exercise

Skincare routine / brush teeth

change into workout clothes

journal & read Personal Development

Exercise @ 7:30

Shower & do my hair

Put on some makeup.

Start the day.

Most days I really tried to take the time for myself - whether it was an hour or 20 minutes - it made such a difference. Honestly, I needed to in order to stay sane during such a weird time in the world.

Fast forward 11 months (might cry) postpartum my routine doesn't look much different for my personal well-being.

Work week morning routine:

3:55am alarm

journal & Personal Development

start workout by 4:30

start getting ready for work BY 5:11am

Wake Drew by 6:05am

In car by 6:15am

Am I tired? Duh

Is it worth my sanity getting up that early? Absolutely.

Do I feel more energized throughout the day when I wake up & exercise? 1000%

Why do I do this?

I don't want to interrupt my quality time in the afternoon/nights with Chad, Drew, & Fred.

I get my workouts done before my body even realizes it's moving, I have a short commute, & my gym is always open - thank you at home workouts

Exercise, journaling, and reading are all very therapeutic to me, have gotten me through some very dark days, and they are habits I choose to control.

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In May of 2020 I became a Beachbody coach because I loved the workouts so much. Coaching has taught me the importance of practicing gratitude, exercising my mind & body, to step outside of my comfort zone, and make time for myself, no matter how 'busy' I am. These workouts and mindset shifts helped me tremendously during pregnancy and I found a community of women who are balancing motherhood, working, and coaching, just like me!

I recognize everyone may not feel a pull to get up super early or journal every single day of their lives, but losing myself in the transition to motherhood was simply NOT an option - so I made the time.

The point of this post is to inspire you to make time for YOU .

I am a mom, I am a wife, I am a teacher, but I am still Jill.

You may be a mom, you may be a wife, you may be very career driven.

DO NOT allow those titles to take away from YOUR JOY!

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if you have interest in starting your fitness journey, learning about personal development books, choosing a gratitude journal, coaching, need an early morning text to get your ass out of bed - LMK!

My personal instagram handle- @jillb24