My blog has primarily been about running and I plan to keep it that way, but for today I’m going to veer off track a bit and talk about something that’s been on my mind a bit lately.
The past couple weeks have been tough for me. I’ve felt good, but my hormones have been so out of whack that I just haven’t felt like myself. My emotions have been everywhere. When I say everywhere I really mean that. The littlest things will upset me and then it sends me into a whirlwind.
I know pregnancy hormones are a real thing, but of course since I’ve never been through this before it came at a total shock. I felt like I wasn’t in control of my body and it was getting beyond frustrating. I ended up breaking down before my Sunday run for really no reason at all. Of course, I knew the main reason but it wasn’t something that would normally have made me lose control like that.
I struggled with how to manage the hormones. I know they are a part of pregnancy, but I didn’t want them to overtake my life and determine the outcome of each and every day. My husband and I have roughly 12 weeks before this little boy makes his appearance and I want to enjoy that time together and not let things bring me down.
So, what have I found that has worked for me?
The first and biggest thing is talking it out. I’m sure my husband has thought I was crazy at more than one point, but he has always been one to sit down and listen to me when I needed it. I may not always know how to explain it in words the best, but I try as I can. Keeping it in is just going to make thing worse. I’ve also spoken with my mom, mother-in-law, and friends who have all made me feel like I’m not completely crazy.
I guess this post won’t be completely non-running related, because one of the big things that has helped me is running. Running has never been something that takes my problems away, but it is something that helps me clear my head and think more logically. On Sunday it was hard to get my run started, but afterwards I was able to think much more clearly. It was just what I needed and I’ve found that even though it may be hard some days running has actually helped to keep me sane.
The final and biggest lesson that this experience has taught me is to slow down. As the weeks countdown I become more anxious about what lies ahead and what we still have left to do. Even the things we do accomplish don’t seem enough for me and I end up over whelmed. My go-to phrase now is one thing at a time. Each day when I get home from work I focus on accomplishing one thing at a time. Some days I get more done than others, but it keeps me from going in too many directions all at once and getting overwhelmed.
I know this is a bit of a detour from my normal posts, but I hope you were able to hang with me. I wanted to share my feelings because at the end of the day that’s what blogging is all about right? Sharing your personal experiences.
I think sometimes we are often made to feel that it’s not okay to feel this way, or that it’s not okay to be frustrated. It’s part of this journey (pregnant or not) and talking about it is usually the first step to feeling stronger and better! Don’t be afraid. It’s taken me several years to get to this point, and while I am in nowhere perfect I am learning that sometimes you just have to learn to let go and trust.
I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday! Thanks for reading this ramble.