Growing a person is no joke. Between feeling sick for nearly two months and daily reminders that my body is no longer solely in my control (lately in the form of clothes that fit last week no longer being an option), I am being forced to tune into this pregnancy. And I want to tune in and not just respond to forces of nature (or to having borderline high blood pressure at several prenatal appointments), but sometimes it just feels hard. So this week I’ve put a new plan in place to give me more time for focus on myself. With packing my lunch+snacks at night, 30 minutes earlier bedtimes and wake-ups, and listening to a guided meditation on the bus, I’ve gotten a much better start to my days this week. When I take the early bus, there is no chance of having to share a seat or of a chain smoker sitting right behind me. When I get in at 7:15am, I also don’t feel bad leaving work at 4, which means I have time to go to an after work yoga class or that I don’t have to stand on my second bus home because it’s less crowded. Then I’m home earlier and can have a snack while I prepare a healthier dinner than all the frozen pizza we’ve been eating (most days, at least). It’s not too much, but it’s made a huge difference already!
Inviting Joy 
I’m so glad you are working on self care! That is so important and I hope you can keep it up through the pregnancy and in the newborn phase, as much as possible! My ob kept reminding me to listen to my body, to trust myself, and to do what I needed to do for me. And my counselor gave me a great idea, a five senses kit, where you take a five minute break with each minute focused on one of the five senses. For example, in my kit I read a page from a favorite childhood book for sight, then listen to a relaxing bit of music for hearing, then massage a yummy lotion into my hands for smell, then lay down on a soft pillow for touch, and finally have a bite of either dark chocolate or cheese for taste. And for the 60 seconds you do that thing, you focus on the sense as a kind of focused meditation.
Love seeing your updates 😊
I so love the idea of a five senses kit! I could see it being really helpful as a mindfulness practice throughout pregnancy, but also during labor and even early parenting as a way to check in with yourself. Thank you ❤