I’m Marianna and I am a mom-just like you! Motherhood is often portrayed as this idyllic, blissful state that many women aspire to-but in reality it’s a lot more complicated than that. Motherhood can definitely be blissful, but it can also be a stressful, exhausting, and anxiety-inducing journey at times. At least that has been the case for me. And chances are-since you are here-that it has been the case for you too.
When my children were younger, I was a stay-at-home mom (and later a part-time working mom) running on empty most of the time. Shortly after my oldest daughter was born, I quit my career to focus on raising my children, as I thought that was the most important job of all. And it was! I put my all into it, trying to be the best mom I could be to provide my children with love, nurture, support, guidance, new experiences, and lots of attention. And I put my all into running our household as well, taking care of errands, cooking, cleaning, paying bills, scheduling appointments and activities, etc. Before I knew it, I was on stand-by 24/7, feeling drained, out of balance, irritable, resentful, and guilty.
When I decided to go back to work a few years later, I found myself beating myself up not only for not being a good enough mom, but also for not being a good enough employee or career woman. My sense of “free” time shrunk even more, and even though I knew I needed space and time to focus on myself, nurture my relationships, and feel happier, I could not get myself to do so. I would sometimes try to make improvements, only to find myself returning to the self-sabotaging patterns I was used to. I also kept telling myself things will get better when my kids are older, so I just had to be patient. I was stuck in this spiral of self-neglect, self-sabotage and denial for quite a while-until I had a wake-up call. My wake-up call was literally an early morning call from my OB/GYN, informing me that I was diagnosed with breast cancer. That day changed my life. All of a sudden, the focus shifted on me. Initially, I tried doing everything necessary to get better physically, but it soon became apparent to me that my emotional health was just as important to focus on, if not more so. What’s more, a scary diagnosis like that forced me to examine more closely how I wanted to live my life moving forward. Given that I didn’t know how much more I had to live, did I want to continue on the path I was on before my diagnosis? Did I want to keep feeling exhausted, guilty, resentful, and putting aside what needed to be addressed? Was that in the best interest of myself and those around me?
In the months and years that followed my diagnosis, I ended up exploring different ways that helped me reduce my stress and anxiety, set and achieve small but impactful goals for myself, address self-limiting beliefs and self-sabotaging behaviors, and experience more contentment and gratitude in my life. The immense improvements I experienced in my emotional health and personal growth, inspired me to find a way of making the tools I acquired more accessible to others-especially mothers like myself. I am now a certified Breathwork Practitioner, Mindfulness/Meditation Teacher, and EFT/Tapping Practitioner and Mentor, and help women improve their emotional health and well-being through some wonderful, energy-based tools.
Unfortunately, I had to realize the importance of self-care, self-love, and emotional health the hard way. But it doesn’t have to be that way for you! You don’t have to wait for your kids to grow in order take care of yourself. I can help you make a positive change in your life NOW, so that you can start feeling happier and more in control of your life as soon as possible!
