Chapter 14 – Living and loving life in the mundane

Once upon a time, during my post natal depression (PND), the whole ‘mundane’ life was a huge ‘hell no.’ I HATED it. I did it, but to a bare minimum.

It was funny to watch myself now, doing small loads of washing and enjoying taking the time to put it out, or doing the dishes – just to do the dishes.

I wondered, who was I? What had changed?

It wasn’t that I was home most of the time – I was home most of the time when Teddy was a baby.

It wasn’t that the washing was any different, I had the same washing machine and the same amount of clothes, Teddy’s were just bigger now.

I definitely wasn’t cleaning bottles or feeding a bub regularly, so yes that was different. 

However, I was home by myself most of the time – which is something I love. 

I love alone time, it helps me process life. I’m calmer and generally more relaxed. If I’ve been out and about too much, it overloads me and then I crave complete silence. Yes I’m an introvert, but more than that, I crave connection to myself.

When I stopped and looked at what really had change, it was that I felt free. 

Freedom has always been a key driver for me. It’s part of my Human Design and my Gene Keys, and being a Gemini we crave Freedom. When I feel free, I feel happier, more creative and more present.

In my PND days, I felt trapped – in a world that I created.

Whilst I was still in a world I’d created, I now felt free and it excited me to go and do those mundane things. They broke up my day and I was in complete flow.

My Weekly Flow

When Chris and Teddy left for the morning, I’d go for a walk with Indie, our dog. Then I’d shower, study for my exam, put washing out, study some more, make and eat lunch, tidy the house, reply to email, check social media etc. 

Some days, I would watch documentaries on Netflix, read books that had nothing to do with my exam, go to yoga, podcast, meet with clients. It was just free flowing.

So doing the things like the washing, sweeping floors, scrubbing showers, doing dishes just became part of my day. They weren’t extra things that I had to do, they were part of our life and the more I did them the easier they became plus Chris was less stressed because he knew he didn’t have to think about all of those things on top of his busy job.

I’ve always cooked, but now Chris was coming home to different meals like asian cabbage mince, veggie soup (that’s amazing!) and tacos. Simple and yummy stuff.

On Wednesdays, Teddy had a private Acrobatics (Acro) class. I’d be outside his school classroom waiting for him at 3pm, so we could beat the school traffic and get to Acro by 3.15. We would arrive at 3.12. Teddy would get his shoes and socks off and we’d go in. 

Parents are only allowed into Acro once a term, but because this was a private lesson I could go and watch. What I’d generally do is read a book for my exam, whilst Mr Brad and Miss Candice put Teddy through his paces, and Teddy complained how hard it was.

Then I’d bundle Teddy into the car, give him afternoon tea, he’d watch YouTube and I’d drive home.

On Fridays, I’d take Teddy to Acro for his group class. He finished school at 3pm and Acro started at 3.45pm. When we arrived at Acro, Teddy would eat afternoon tea – fruit and crackers or whatever he was enjoying at the time, and watch YouTube. Sometimes we’d get the basketball or handball out and play with that until he had to go in.

Then I’d sit in the car for the next hour, sometimes working, sometimes meditating, sometimes reading, sometimes writing and sometimes falling asleep in those meditations! 

At no stage did I ever think ‘I don’t want to be here’ or ‘what a waste of time,’ etc. Nor did I think ‘this is just what you do when you have kids Susan, you just have to get on with it.’

I enjoyed sitting there for me. It was my down time, my out time, my catch up time – it was whatever time I wanted it to be, and it was mine. Even the time when I was actually in the studio, it was my time and I got to watch Teddy grow and evolve – which I love.

We would often leave Acro and head straight home for showers and dinner. However, I remember Teddy coming out of his first Acro class of the year and vomiting on the side of the road because he’d worked too hard and it was a hot day. That never happened again, and I made sure he had lots of water to drink and reminding him to take breaks.

This was my life, for now, and I loved it.

Gratitude in the Mundane

This was the mundane but it was beautiful and it helped me learn, again, how to be present with what is.

When Teddy was a baby I would watch him for hours and, even in my PND haze, I could appreciate that he’s not always going to be this small and cuddly and want to hold my hand. I loved to listen to the sounds he made while he slept, these were the precious moments.

These are the moments I get to be part of and observe now, they just look different because we’re different and I’m still washing dishes because, thankfully, there will always be dishes to wash.

 

My next step

I was heading Melbourne for my National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaches exam in May, but before I went I wanted to get my next round of bloods done and poo in a takeaway container again. I’d consistently been taking my supplements, eating well and now, moving my body, so I wondered, are my iron levels going up? What’s happening with my SIBO? It was time to figure that out.

Mentally and emotionally, I was in a really good space but I wondered about my spiritual side. I’d been mediating and I had this feeling that something ‘big’ was going to happen in Melbourne. I didn’t know what it was but something was going to happen.

Let’s dive into my bloods and stool first, before we explore Melbourne and that ‘big’ event!

You can check out everything about my Project 22 over here and Chapter 15 – Rising Iron & My SIBO Healed.

 

Share with me

Are you going on your own journey in 2022? Then tag me and use #project22 so we can connect xo

 

Disclaimer

Everything shared in this post and across my website is my story and recollection of conversation and events. They are in no way medical or mental health advice, prescription or diagnosis. Should you be interested in what I’m sharing and what this could mean in your life, then I’d encourage you to engage with the relevant health professionals or if you need support please seek out the health professionals that can support you.

In relation to my podcast, the information shared is mine or my guests. Again it is not medical or mental health advice, prescription or diagnosis. If you need support, please seek out relevant medical professionals.