Being a mom is not an easy job and if you don’t have a good way to find peace and clear your head. No matter how much time you spend preparing for being a mother, you’ll never be truly ready. It simply involves too many responsibilities and can be extremely hard to get used to. When I had my first child, I was completely lost. I stopped caring about myself and would devote all of my time to my son.

Now, as a mother of three beautiful kids, I can say that the thing that helps me most to remain a good mother is paying attention to myself. Even if I’m very busy, I still take some time each day to focus on what I want. As a new mother, I had completely lost my confidence and didn’t find myself attractive at all. I didn’t have the desire to be intimate with my husband because I thought I was hideous. At first, I started regaining my confidence by putting on make-up and buying new clothes. However, I soon found a better way to start feeling good about myself – running.

Honestly, I was never the type of person to work out before I had kids. I would always pride myself with the fact that I had a great physique even though I basically ate what I wanted to and didn’t do much exercising. Sure, I would do some light exercises at home, but I never had an intense workout before I became a mother. With me, it started out as just walking. Once I had my second child I realized that buying new clothes was not a good way to boost my self-esteem and that I needed something better and healthier.

So, when my kids would fall asleep I would tell my husband that I was going for a walk to clear my head. And I did this every single night. Eventually, I got the idea to start running and there was just something about that feeling after finishing a run that still keeps me motivated to exercise regularly. As time went on, I learned that running can release endorphins in your brain, which helps elevate your mood. Apparently, all runners experience this amazing feeling after they’re done with their workouts.

But it’s not just that I felt amazing right after the run. I noticed that my happiness and confidence were constantly through the roof. I did some research on this and found that a study conducted by the University of Boston revealed that aerobic exercise like running can be as effective as anti-depressants. Honestly, this is what I felt like I needed because I was very close to depression. The only thing that kept me from turning into a mess was the fact that I didn’t want my kids to see me like that.

By increasing the distances I run over time, I learned discipline and how to stay motivated. It’s not easy trying to achieve a new goal every few weeks, but every time I manage to reach one I get a huge confidence boost. Now I don’t let myself make excuses for anything. I even injured my ankle on one occasion and as soon as I recovered thanks to the wonderful professionals at Premier Podiatry, I started running again even though I didn’t feel like it at first.

In fact, there are still days when I don’t feel like running and would rather sit at home and relax for one night. However, I don’t allow myself to become lazy because I know how beneficial exercising is to me. I’m currently in the best shape of my life and happier than I’ve ever been. Running helps me become a better version of myself because it boosts my confidence, helps me stay motivated, and clears my head after a stressful day.