Prior to living in the Atlanta area, my husband and I were residents of San Antonio, Texas. Through some friends, we became acquainted with a nutritionist based out of Austin named Carly Pollack. Every few weeks, my husband and I drove up to Austin (about 90 minutes from San Antonio) and met with Carly.
While Carly was giving us advice on healthy eating, we truly felt like we emerged from each meeting with knowledge and wisdom about nourishing our entire soul.
Eventually, we became pregnant, had a baby, got out of the military, moved to Atlanta, had two more babies, and moved to the suburbs. While I no longer see a nutritionist, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed following Carly on social media channels (her Instagram handle is @nutritionalwisdom for any inquiring minds). She shares incredible knowledge and advice in regards to our relationship with food, ourselves, and our bodies.
Recently, Carly shared she was a guest on a podcast called The Simplifiers in an episode titled “How to Make Self-Care ‘Non-Negotiable’ Through Sleep.” Well, needless to say, I was SHOOK.
I immediately jumped on my Apple podcasts to give the episode a listen – and couldn’t stop nodding my head in agreement! Carly shares, much more eloquently than I ever could, that giving ourselves the daily gift of enough sleep is just as valuable to our health as our fitness and nutrition. Sleeping, sleeping well, and sleeping enough needs to be a priority in our lives just as much as our work, social lives, exercise, etc. Yes, yes, all the yes!
My husband laughs at me because I routinely get into my bed the minute I get my three daughters to bed. Personally, I’m a 9 hours a night kind of gal. When I get enough sleep, I feel so much more like “myself.” I’m even-tempered, I’m generally happy, I’m sharp, I’m calm, and I’m not constantly trying to figure out ways to squeeze in a nap.
I prioritize getting plenty of sleep over almost anything else. It is, without a doubt, the ultimate in self-care for me. Everyone in my family knows to not mess around with Mama when it’s time to sleep.
Of course, we all go through phases of life where our sleep habits and sleep routines are disrupted (you know, like having three babies in three years). But the minute I was able to get my babies on reliable sleep schedules, my entire demeanor and physical well-being changed. I could literally feel my emotions balancing.
Give the podcast a listen. Invest in a good mattress. Find a pillow you love. Get off your phone and go catch some z’s – your body will thank you tomorrow!
