I surprised Matte... with my Post-Pregnancy Photo Shoot | Shay Mitchell

Being a mom has been an amazing journey. Before Atlas was born, I thought that life would go back to “normal” - or whatever that even means - right after, but it turns out, once you transform into a parent you can never “go back” to that person you were before. And that’s totally okay and even for the best. Your mindset shifts, the way you make decisions changes and you learn to operate with a part of your heart outside of your body. It is - THE BEST - experience, but definitely can be very easy to forget about yourself and taking that crucial time to fill your own cup. At the end of last year - with a year of parenting under my belt and a half year in quarantine - I started feeling just super blah. I realized I was no longer taking the time for myself to do the things that I enjoyed just for me. Amongst those things were working out and eating healthy…I know it’s not the case for everyone, but when I hit the gym or work out, I feel…so energized and whole…and I of course want to be my best self not only for myself but for my partner, my team and my daughter. So I decided to take on a fitness challenge called Four Weeks of Focus, a four-week fitness challenge, with the intention to improve my physical and mental wellbeing. And at the end of the month, I was SO proud of myself and what I had achieved. So to celebrate all my hard work, I decided to have a little once-in-a-lifetime (or maybe twice :-P) photoshoot. A little risqué, fine, BUT SO FUN, and who better to do it with than Greg Swales! This was such a great day and an amazing experience. I basically got to hang out with some of my best friends to bring to life that feeling that I was experiencing…of being the best version of myself, for taking care of my own needs, and for not looking back at that person that I used to be, but snapping forward to this new person that I am…ME, but like, someone’s mom. To celebrate these photos and Mental Health Awareness month in May, we have teamed up with non-profit SAD GIRLS CLUB to create exclusive pieces of perch (coming soon!) with all proceeds benefiting this very worthy organization. Sad Girls Club (SGC) was founded in 2017 by Elyse Fox to create a community for Black, non-black POC, and other underserved communities who are battling mental illnesses. SGC is a real-life and digital community that shows members they are not alone, honors their experiences and struggles, and aims to remove the stigma of mental illness through community building and education. In light of increasing isolation, depression, and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, SGC launched Soul Sessions, which offers free, online group therapy that has provided nearly 1500 members with free sessions since July 2020. Shop my 2021-2022 Calendar Merch in support of Sad Girls Club. 100% of proceeds benefit Sad Girls Club! website: follow: Check out my video with Matte Babel as we put our relationship history to the test: Shot and edited by David Alvarez @davalva Hi! I’m Shay Mitchell, but you may know me as Emily, Peach, or Stella! Oh, or it’s possible that you may also know me as the CBO Founder of BÉIS and Co-founder of Onda. Or as Atlas’s mom. Or as a pizza fanatic. Whatever you know me as I’m Shay, and this is my YouTube. Join me for my favorite recipes, beauty collabs with my friends a behind-the-scenes (and screen) look at my life. Be sure to watch my series Still Not Ready as we figure out parenthood: Follow me! YouTube: Instagram: Tik Tok: Facebook: Twitter: