My Journey as a Single Parent

No marriage is perfect

“Being in love,” “creating a life together,” and “raising children,” keeping all in control is not a simple task. It takes time and a certain amount of maturity to reach the balance. If love is measured by how much effort you are willing to give, what’s the magic formula? Maintaining everything in check is not an easy matter, and there is no perfect way to make it happen. 

All marriages have their ups and downs; they are all different. Being a single parent is a journey of accepting a failing marriage, detaching from a committed long-term relationship, and creating your own new life.

Self-acceptance 

Either you are learning to make personal sacrifices and make your spouse feel appreciated and valued, or on the journey of learning how to self-care and love yourself more. Marriage is a process of towards each other, growth, and maturity. Sometimes going their separate ways is the best outcome. 

Becoming a single parent can bring up strong emotions, like relief, excitement, anger, fear, and grief. The journey of a single parent is a process of coming to realize it is better to go on their separate ways, followed by healing and then reconstructing the support system. 

Redefine a “Perfect Family”

My definition of a perfect family was often bound to the idea of keeping everyone together and values in line; I committed all my efforts to managing this “small community” I had created. Whether it was the right or wrong ways, every marriage has challenges, but the belief behind “keep trying” and “keep fixing” was becoming too heavy to handle. A perfect family should not be formed by a miserable couple and two (most likely confused) children. 

The journey as a single parent allows us to find ourselves again, a new chance to redefine “parenthood” and enjoy the process in a new state of mind. Demolished what I have believed traditionally. Creates a positive and healthy support system. Continue to love the children the way you are. This is also a form of “perfect family.”

Learn to Respond, Not React

The reaction is an emotional decision made without considering the consequences. While Response is the conscious effort to take a step back to review the situation. It allows the individual to rationalize the issue with a problem-solving attitude. 

Quick reactions usually come from anxiety, stress, and anger; these negative feelings often get the best of me. In my single-parent journey, I learned to self-reflect and saw through what happened after putting emotions aside. Perhaps if I could wait a bit before reacting, the situation could be different? Your life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it. 

Respectfully Disagree!

Make more of an effort to find the respectfulness within the disagreement. Anger often gets the best of most people. When couples argue, both sides speak emotionally in high tones, creating increased tension and a toxic environment for the family. As time grew, we lost interest in finding a healthier and more effective way of communication. 

Being a mother makes you grow. Being a single mother makes you strong. It is a process of learning. There were words that I wish were never put out before. Being a single parent is also a journey of realigning what kind of person I would like to be, giving myself a chance to reconnect, apologize and move on.

Create quality time

The world moves around at a tremendously fast pace. We are busy with work, social networks, media, friends, and family. There’s no time and energy to date after a long day at work, looking at phones or tablets during the time together, or lack of interest in creating quality time together. The journey of being a single parent, especially the life in Spain, has taught me to make quality time, be present and learn how important it is to put the phone away during precious time together.

How Did I Cope With Stress as a Single Parent?

Becoming a Single Mom

Starting a new single-parent life is challenging. It is common to find disagreement between father and mother, and the financial challenges of single parenting can lead to debt and late payments. Long working hours do not allow you to spend quality time with children. 

Stress and long-term sleep deprivation are common issues for many single parents. There are a few ways to help you improve your overall well-being in the stressful moments:

Yoga

A 90-minute yoga practice with yourself can improve mental and physical strength, balance, and flexibility. Yoga is a form of exercise that includes stretching, breathing, relaxation, and meditation, it has proven to positively affect people with mental health conditions, such as reducing anxiety. Practice yoga 2 to 3 times a week. 

Meditation

5 to 20 minutes of meditation in the morning or before sleep can make you feel more relaxed. Begin your day with a calm and focused mind that can set the right tone for the rest of the day.  

Practicing mindfulness can release emotions that may have been causing the stress. Use 10 minutes of meditation to center yourself; you will be in a better place when the challenges and opportunities arrive. 

Breathing Exercise

When there is a time of disagreement in the marriage or facing challenges, breathing is an easy way to calm my body and reduce anger. The slow and deep breathing shifts my focus away from the “drama,” allowing me to recenter again. 

One of the breathing exercises I practice regularly is sitting in a quiet and comfortable place, closing my eyes, and shoulder relaxing. Slowly breathe in through the nose, breathe out through the mouth. Repeat this process at least 10 times or until the feeling of anxiety decreases. 

Take a walk

Research has shown that walking releases brain chemicals called endorphins that stimulate relaxation and improve our mood. Walking does not have to be done at a fast pace to have stress-relieving benefits. Find a park, breathe fresh air, and feel the positive energy around you can make you feel better.

CBD Products

A friend recommended CBD while I was going through severe anxiety and suggested it could be an effective organic remedy to reduce my stress. Since then, I have tried many CBD products such as hemp, CBD gummies, CBD softgels, and CBD tinctures. Nano is the most effective option that works the best for me; nano CBD has significantly improved my sleeping quality after suffering from long-term sleep deprivation and disruption.

Before trying CBD, I often felt tired throughout the day and could not think clearly. CBD products have brought my focus back during the day and quality sleep at night. 

Incorporated CBD into my daily routine

I take a CBD gummy before yoga practice to center my focus. It also prepares my muscles for the next 90 minutes of practice; I prefer an earthy aroma CBD tincture to start morning meditation. Nano CBD softgels are the go-to natural remedy that helps me sleep better and longer. 

Why Ehalo CBD products?

Ehalo was created because I have experience in the stress-relieving benefits of CBD products for wellness and anxiety. My intention is to help you enjoy parenthood more, but I also aim to produce premium organic CBD products with the finest ingredients for women, new and single parents. Ehalo cares about your health!

Not only are all Ehalo’s CBD products designed to help single parents become calmer and more focused, but we also guarantee quality. All Ehalo’s CBD products come with lab reports from third-party tests at ISO-certified labs and are manufactured in an FDA-registered lab. Ehalo has earned the rare distinction of the NSF International’s Good Manufacturing Practice Registration. Finally, Ehalo’s CBD is nano emulsified and offers much greater bioavailability than traditional CBD.

The Creation of Ehalo & Nanani World

Nanani World, initially, I wanted to journal my single parent journey to heal while sharing my experiences, hoping to help someone possibly going through the same process, even just for one person. This is a space where I want to create a meaningful and purposeful life that can contribute to the single-parent community.

Being a single parent is not easy. Anxiety and stress often take place. We may yell, lose patience, or simply have no energy to deal with situations. Ehalo was created to help parents to be their best selves. Our goal is to make you calmer and more relaxed, allow you to be a better communicator with children or ex-partners, help you think clearer in critical moments, and complete your daily overload tasks with a focused head. Ehalo wants you to enjoy parenthood through calmness.

Being a single-parent will make you experience the process of demolishing what you have built around you, entering a healing stage, rebuilding the support system, and more. I hope Nanani World is a space where you can find strength, while Ehalo can help you get through some of the most frustrating moments with a calming mind and positive attitude.