I was in a client session where I was telling her that self-care is not selfish and in fact, it is beneficial for the entire family. I even quoted the famous line “you need to put your own oxygen mask on first before putting it on others”, only to find that my voice sounded hollow even to my own ears. I had just left a doctor’s appointment where I was told that if I didn’t start taking care of my health soon, I would continue spiraling down a path where it would be more difficult to return from. Like many other mother’s COVID added another level of stress. I was back in school, homeschooling my younger two, managing a business, and doing my normal household “duties”, oh and deciding to combat my childhood trauma AT THE SAME TIME. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? It was. HA! 

I spent 18 plus months barely managing to keep my head above water, physically working hours that in truth wasn’t sustainable, all while “naming the demons” that haunted me JUST under the surface. To the outside world, I was my normal self, affable, productive, a mom who had it all together but what people couldn’t see was the crippling anxiety that I had expertly hidden. My coping came out in the form of food issues that slowly took over my health, one bite, one pound at a time. While I was working on my mental health my physical health was deteriorating. 

On September 28th, I decided to have the surgery, the doctor had suggested I get back in April. This would help alleviate some of the physical symptoms I was experiencing as a result of my massive hormonal issues. I also agreed to change my entire way of looking at food and that meant a HARD reset. I started on a liquid cleanse to reset my metabolism. This meant NO caffeine, NO gluten, NO dairy, NO sugar, NO physical food for 2 weeks...guess what I am going on week 3 and feel freaking amazing!!! I was able to get the approval to continue for another week and realize that I am actually fueling my body for the first time. I am sleeping more deeply, I have more energy, my normal afternoon crash has all but disappeared, I am slowly emerging back into the person I was meant to be.  We all say without batting an eye, that we would die for our children, but are we actually LIVING for them?

Join me monthly as I continue my journey to align my mind, body, and soul: “Emerging on the Otherside”

XOXO,

Zaiba Hasan

Mommying While Muslim Podcast
Emerge Parenting