Some days I swear I can feel the fatigue before I even open my eyes. Not the “I need a nap” kind — the deep, bone-level tired that comes from loving three children, a growing business and a home that refuses to run on autopilot.

I look at lil sonshine sleeping on my chest, listen to the chocolate babies arguing over who had the blue cup first, hear my phone buzzing with another task and I think, so this is the new chapter.

It’s strange, this season. Beautiful in the way only new life can be, overwhelming in ways you can’t explain without sounding dramatic and grounding because it forces you to confront what actually matters.

I catch myself trying to keep pace with the old version of me — the one with more sleep, more free time, fewer tiny humans — and then I laugh, because she’s not coming back. And maybe she shouldn’t.

This is me learning to live inside a different rhythm. This is me understanding wellness with new eyes. This is me redefining fitness with a body and mind that have carried so much.

I didn’t plan to write about this. But these thoughts keep showing up — in the quiet moments, the messy ones, the ones where I’m trying to remember who I was and embracing who I’m becoming.

If you’re reading this, welcome inside the raw notes of a woman evolving in real time — juggling a newborn who thinks sleep is a suggestion, twins who operate like they’re powered by solar panels and chaos, a business that refuses to grow itself and a husband holding down the fort like the unofficial Minister of Support Services.

"There’s this moment in parenthood — especially after baby number three — where you stop pretending your life is “getting back to normal” and you start realising this is the new normal. And honestly? That shift is freeing.

Wellness used to look like planned routines, long showers, long workouts, slow mornings. Cute. Lovely. Almost fictional now.

Today, wellness is a scrappy, resilient, deeply intentional practice. Five-minute resets instead of spa days. Breathing before reacting because babies and twins don’t negotiate

Accepting help because you weren’t designed to run a household, business and nursery all at once.

Choosing nourishment over convenience when you can and letting convenience win when you must.

Letting the house be lived-in, not magazine-ready — the season demands sanity, not perfection.

Resting when the baby rests, occasionally (because they’re twins), and shutting down that “be productive every second” feeling that postpartum sneaks into your mind.

Wellness now is choosing you in small but steady ways. One cup of tea you don’t reheat six times. One boundary that keeps your energy safe. One honest moment where you stop carrying everything alone.

Whew chile! ... and fitness?!

Let’s call it like it is: bouncing back is out, building forward is in. I'll keep saying this! Bounce back, where?

Fitness today doesn’t care about aesthetics or timelines; it cares about functionality and mental clarity.

Weekly workouts that leave your heart full. Walks with the stroller, where the fresh air does half the healing. Strength training because carrying and playing with three children is basically CrossFit (or is it Hyrox now?).

Listening to your body, not old expectations. Celebrating consistency over intensity. Respecting your postpartum recovery especially after the twins taught you what real exhaustion looks like.

Fitness right now is about staying able. Able to lift, to move, to chase, to think clearly, to stay grounded, to keep going.

This season isn’t about hitting PRs — it’s about building a body that can carry the life you’ve built.

And let’s be real. Some days you’ll feel like superwoman. Some days you’ll feel like you got hit by a bus driven by your own children. Both are normal.

Your wellness will ebb. Your fitness will flex. But your commitment? Your evolution? That’s the constant.

This chapter isn’t messy — It’s mature. You’re not “losing yourself” You’re expanding. You’re multiplying the versions of you that exist at once: mom, leader, wife, creator, coach, caretaker, dreamer.

This is the season where grace is a discipline. Rest is resistance. Support is strength. And evolution is the goal.

What’s the takeaway? Wellness now is softer. Fitness now is smarter. Your life now is fuller.

And you? You’re more capable than ever — even on the days you feel like you’re held together with vibes and a prayer. Amen!"

So many thoughts, so many takeaways but ya girl decided to keep it more real this week, more raw. My hope is that you easily followed along the scattered thoughts.

So if you find yourself in your own season of “everything at once”, take this with you: it’s OK to slow down. It’s OK to change. It’s OK to grow in the dark before you bloom in the light again.

This chapter may be messy (mature), but it’s yours. And it’s shaping you in ways you’ll be proud of later — once you finally get a minute to catch your breath.

Happy Wednesday fitfam! As usual remain unapologetic about your entire fitness and wellness journey, stay true to yourself and always be honest with your efforts.

• Dre Hinds is a personal trainer, aerobic and yoga instructor and fitness “addict” with more than 20 years’ experience. She specialises in nutrition, weight and sprint training, operating out of HindsSight Fitness and Wellness at the Berkeley Cultural Centre. Contact her at absbydre@gmail.com or on 599-6683. Find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram under @Absbydre