This post was sponsored by Massage Envy as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.
Petite me when I discovered I got the middle seat instead of the aisle…except it was 25E.
This has been a crazy year.
But first, let me put it in perspective.
A younger, more vibrant me, before Zoe, I think.
12 years ago, I was a pregnant New Yorker in my 30s. Up until I was not allowed to anymore, I worked out for my pregnancy and worked 5 days a week. We moved to the Poconos before Amelia was born and I added a 3 hour roundtrip bus commute a few times a week to my routine.
And then Amelia was born, and life sloooooooowed down.
So much so, I thought I’d die of boredom. By the time Zoe was born 3 years later, I’d resolved to get my driver’s license and really live. One blog, one business, one job and several freelance gigs later, life is suddenly full speed again – this time, with my 50th birthday in my rear view window.
Amelia, just a few months (or weeks?) old!
And what a way to end my 40s! In the span of the last 4-1/2 months, I’ve attended 4 conferences in other states, went on vacation, went to 3 blogger events in Philly and New York, 2 blogger workshops in Chalfont, made the most of the year by seeing “Joseph,” vistied the Franklin Institute and took 2 trips to Peddler’s Village/New Hope. I’ve volunteered for class coordinator and added some new business ventures, to be coming soon.
At ShiftCon, having fun in the Nutiva booth
Oh, and we added a dog to our family a few weeks ago.
Which is why Sunday night found me jumping up and down for joy as I finally returned to my own bed after traveling, because most likely that’s the last time I’ll sleep away from it for the rest of the year. Monday was tough to accomplish anything because I needed to recharge and take time for myself to get back, not just in the time zone, but in the zone, KWIM?
Me in 2014, puffy & bloated me, and knee deep in decade of high stress.
Because travel is hard, even when it’s worth it. Leaving your family is hard. Sitting next to the guy who brought a sandwich loaded with onions on the plane is hard, and so is finding out you have the middle seat when you asked for an aisle. And hotel beds with pillows that have glow lights inside and make my neck hurt? HARD.
And while coming back is wonderful, it doesn’t take long before you remember your children’s challenges and all the care you need to take to help them thrive. Clean eating, alternative therapies, speech and OT, tech apps that need updating, and of course, the latest research on what to do next or how to handle the new thing (like puberty) can make your wonderful “welcome home” evaporate fast. All that adds up to a whole lotta stress.
A year later, healthier, NOT bloated and shortly after a massage, actually.
It’s important, though, that moms like us who are raising kids with special needs make health a priority. Relieving stress needs to be at the top of that priority list and that is one of the top benefits of massage. I’m not talking about a rare occasion. I’m talking about making massage an integral part of your healthy routine, like working out, taking probiotics and removing toxins.
How healthy is massage? The Mayo Clinic lists numerous benefits of massage, including reducing stress (I’ve got some!) and muscle tension (those dang hard pillows). WebMD’s benefits of massage therapy include relieving back pain and headache, lowering depression and anxiety, improving stiffness and function for patients with osteoarthritis, and reducing cancer symptoms. Wow, massage helps cancer patients! Who knew?
Pretty cool right? But massage does even more than that. The experts at Massage Envy say it helps improve posture and circulation, lower blood pressure, relax muscles, improve your flexibility, promote easier breathing and strengthen the immune system.
That can produce real benefits for moms who are trying to live a clean, nontoxic life to help their children. We need all the resources we can get to stay energized and when you are done with a massage, you feel like, well, yourself again. I can’t even explain how much it puts you back in your right state.
Massage Envy can help. Like me, they believe that total body care is necessary to be a well mama. We can’t keep putting ourselves last, Mom. Some days the call is to tend to your own needs so you can have the energy to be that everyday hero for your family. Whether you travel a lot, or are stuck inside going stir crazy a lot (did both this year myself), take the time to regularly tune up your body with a massage. Treating your body well should be your daily mission, and Massage Envy can help you manage the travel, the indoors, the boring days and the crazy life that all moms live.
