Being a mom to a neurodivergent child takes strength: Emotional. Mental. Physical. Some days, it takes everything!
Recently, I started back working out while my mom is visiting; and she makes breakfast for Croix. It’s not about perfection…it’s about the pause. The reset. The “me” time I so often put last!
Let’s be real. I noticed the flab. You probably didn’t but I did. I didn’t like it. But what I realized is this: it wasn’t just about my body. It was my mind crying for a release! All The Time! So I moved. I lifted. I exhaled.
Even if it’s just 15 minutes before Croix bursts in asking about a dinosaur or his iPad, it’s mine and it helps!
🧠 Why Moms Like Us Need This
I read a tragic story this week about a mom of an autistic child who ended her life and her child’s. She left a note “freeing” the father to move on.
It shook me.
Because while we’d never want that outcome… I understood the weight she must’ve been carrying.
So this message isn’t just about workouts. It’s about protecting your mind.
It’s about doing one small thing to remind yourself that you matter too!
🏋🏾♀️ 5 Ways Working Out Helps Your Mental State:
1. Stress Relief
Exercise lowers cortisol and helps your brain release feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. It’s a real mental reset.
2. Increased Patience
Moving your body builds the same kind of stamina your nervous system needs when things get tough. The more you train, the more you can emotionally “hang in there.”
3. Better Sleep
Working out (even lightly) improves rest. And if you’re like me, sleep is a rare luxury!
4. Sense of Accomplishment
Even 15 minutes of movement is a win! When the day is hard, that’s something you did for YOU!
5. It Helps You Show Up Better.
The stronger you feel mentally and physically, the more grounded you are when parenting gets real; and it does get real! You can’t pour from an empty cup they say, and we know!
💡 How to Get Creative When You Have No Time:
• Dance party during cleanup: your kid’s mess just became your cardio.
• Wall sits while helping with homeschool: burn thighs, not your patience.
• Stroller squats or walks at the park.
• Use household items: laundry detergent jugs make great weights.
• Include your child: make yoga fun, or ask them to count your reps.
(“You do 10, I do 10!” It becomes a game.)
Final Thoughts:
This life is beautiful and hard!
And we matter just as much as the little humans we’re raising!
So take that walk. Turn on the music. Lift something heavy, maybe even the weight in your chest.
You’re worth caring for. Your peace is worth protecting. And your story isn’t over.
🔗 Read more real life, heart-led homeschool posts at raisingmywiredking.com
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Raising My Wired King 