We’ve just wrapped up the spring school holidays, and the weather couldn’t have been better.
We’re very fortunate to live in a highly popular tourist town where we get to share our beautiful beach and nature with holidaymakers and families, and this past weekend was no exception.
Like many locals, we never truly appreciate where we live the way holidaymakers do. But this weekend we made a concerted effort, despite having to park 2km away, to get to the beach twice.
It was actually so nice to share our home with everyone. It felt a bit crowded, but it was lovely knowing we were all appreciating the beauty of where we get to call home.
Not only was it a lot of walking, but being in a swimsuit in public is not something I would have felt comfortable doing two years ago.
My body felt like it was conspiring against me. Not just the extra weight, but the lack of energy to do anything, including the bare basics of taking care of myself and my family. And the panic attacks that came from out of nowhere.
It was years of seeking support and not being heard or understood, until I found what I needed and the people who would listen and help guide me.
I’m still a work in progress, but midlife is kicking my butt a little less these days, and I feel like I can steer the ship a bit better.
I haven’t worn foundation in over a year. My skin is clearer, I’m sleeping better, I have energy to burn, I’ve built lean muscle and I feel like I’m aging backwards.
Next year I turn 50, and at a time when illness and ailments seem to be creeping up on so many of us, I feel like I have somewhat of a handle on where my health is headed for the next decade or so.
I’m still working through the process, with some tweaks to my diet and movement incoming. I’m excited to be eating more and building more muscle over the coming months, and to see where the next stage takes me.
The bit that came first
None of this started with the gym or the food. It started with deciding, over and over, that looking after myself wasn’t selfish, and wasn’t something to get to once everyone else was sorted.
I wrote Choose Yourself while I was in the thick of figuring that out. I wrote it for me. Then other women started reading it.
If you’re where I was two years ago, tired, unheard and running on empty, it might be a good place to start.
Have you ever felt like your body was working against you? I’d love to hear where you’re at. 🤍
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Smelling like roses
My family thinks I can fall into a pile of shit and come up smelling like roses, and I can see why they might think that, but I’m not sure it’s accurate; let me explain.
Some days I feel like my ADHD diagnosis isn’t correct...
I put that down to the last couple of years I’ve devoted to understanding how my brain works, therapy, self-compassion, and deep diving into neurodivergence, midlife, and perimenopause/menopause. It’s not the same for everyone, and that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned.