Self-care is hard to come by when you’re caring for a family.

When my four children were small I was their primary caregiver.

My husband worked 7 days a week and struggled with functional alcoholism in the evenings.

I felt guilty for spending any time on myself. Everything on my to-do list (caregiving, shopping, cleaning, laundry, work, family time) came before my own self-care. I poured everything into making sure everyone else in my home was taken care of while my own health was slipping to the bottom of the pile.

My energy levels started dropping. Afternoon slumps became the norm- slightly abated by caffeine and chocolate. I was anxious without really knowing why. I knew what my family values were, but didn’t make the time to consider how those values were playing out in my own life outside of raising kids. When we moved from Australia to Canada, my husband began his sobriety journey. I knew I could only begin healing from the trauma and challenges if I found a way to return home to myself.

But how?

No one else was going to give me permission to take care of myself. It finally clicked that it was my responsibility to start showing up for myself.