Mother’s Day always gets me thinking… thinking about what is important in my life. I was watching the kids outside playing catch and I found myself reflecting on the continual theme of balance and time with my family – especially my three precious kids. Am I giving them enough of me? Always striving to give them more. At times I just wish I could have more TIME in a day! Do you ever feel that way? I know you do; because if you are a busy working mom like me, I hear you!
Let me tell you about a conversation I recently had with my mom. We were discussing how my sister is just “too busy” with two little kids and a full time career as an ICU nurse to add regular exercise into her daily routine. And the first thing that popped into my mind was how often we hear that response from people in the office! (And I get it, balancing and prioritizing your time is an extremely hard thing to do.) But my response to my mom AND people in the office is the exact same… It is selfish for you NOT to exercise; just as it is selfish for you to NOT make time for YOU!
It’s a bold statement, I know. (That’s why I put it in bold font!) But trust me, you’ll appreciate the end result. Please keep reading!
“I just don’t have time in my day to schedule the new patient exam”. “I don’t have time in my day to commit to coming in”. “I don’t have time in my day to rest after an adjustment”… These are thing we hear on a regular basis. What if I told you it was selfish to NOT do these things?
Let me tell you about Shannon. Shannon has been a practice member for years – I met her on a jobsite and she eventually came in due to her high stress job. She started care, got great results and starting getting her family checked as well. But it wasn’t until Shannon wrote out a testimonial for us that we really understood the toll that her health challenges had taken, not only herself but on her family. Every day she would come home from work exhausted, usually with a severe headache, and lay on the couch. She was trying to do everything in her power to be a good wife and good mom, but literally could not get off the couch because of the pain. No matter how hard she tried to be attentive with her family, there was no way she was able to give them 100% of HER – 100% of the best version of Shannon!
Her testimonial brought me to tears. Not only did she get her life back, but her kids and husband got their mom and wife back! AND they get the absolute best version of her!! No more headaches, no more fatigue and no more needing to lie down.
So, when I say I am selfish with my time, part of that has to go back on me. Making sure I prioritize the things that I do every day to be the absolute healthiest, happiest best version of me to be the best mom and wife. I commit to regular exercise, clean eating and of course, I keep an absolute clear nervous system to allow my body to optimally function at its best… and most importantly, to HEAL at its best. This lesson I learned with my own injury this past winter. I would never ‘talk the talk’ without ‘walking the walk’. That, will be an entire blog in and of itself. But just know I do live the very example I preach!
Do yourself a favor, and be a little more selfish! It’s ok to take a little time away from your kids if it is going to make you a better mother! It is ok to put yourself FIRST; because honestly, how can you take care of others if you are falling apart?
I hope you all had the most amazing Mother’s Day. No one deserves it more than YOU.
-Dr. Niki Pearson
