Invest in Yourself

Earlier this summer, there was an event I was dying to attend. I couldn’t really afford the high ticket price, but something in my heart told me it would be a once in a lifetime experience I couldn’t miss. So I cobbled together some freelancing jobs, put my family on a tight budget, and made it happen.

While I feel like I'm coming out of the dark cloak of postpartum depression, I still have days when I feel emotionally drained, overwhelmed, and hopeless. But a few months ago, after drudging through these hard days, I was sick of feeling this way. I was sick of not being present for my daughter, and most of all I was sick of not feeling like myself. I needed to do something, and I needed to do it fast. 

The most logical next step in my brain was to get a therapist, but when my husband and I talked about it I felt guilty about spending the extra money on myself and childcare to cover it. Then a light bulb went off in my mind. 

Earlier this summer I was willing to make my finances to work in order to attend event I wanted to go to, but now I’m putting the emotional well-being on hold because I feel like I can’t afford it? If I needed to figure out my finances for anything, it was my mental health.

And so I did. I invested in therapy. 

In fact, because I’m an overachiever I invested in three different kinds of support to see which one would be most effective for me. I have a one on one traditional therapist, I joined a mother’s circle with other mothers suffering from postpartum depression, and I enrolled in Denaye from Simple Family’s masterclass to help you simplify your life.  

Each piece has given me something different and given me a new perspective on how to handle my postpartum depression. Now, not only do I feel like I’m seeing real results, I also feel supported as hell! I have a whole team of people who care about my well-being and want to see me thrive. 

Sometimes it’s hard to make the right decisions for ourselves. When I think about that nagging question of “can I afford therapy” what I’m really asking myself is “am I worthy of therapy.” And having suffered from depression on and off my whole life, I know deep down that choosing yourself is the first step to getting out of the darkness.

You must choose yourself. 

Every day you have to make the painful decision to choose to walk towards the light. It’s one of the hardest things in the world to do but in my experience, it’s the only way to truly feel better.

So I wonder- What’s nagging you in your life? What could you throw some time, money, resources, and energy at? What would you invest in for yourself if money and time were no option? Ask yourself if it’s something you can actually make happen. Not because you just want it, but because you deserve it.

Supporting you always, and thankful to have you on my team. Leave a comment below to let me know what you're working on so I can send you some love!

Xx,

Written by Erin Bagwell
Copy edited by Diana Matthews