I want to store variables in my .env file and use them instead of using my sensitive data in the code.

require("dotenv").config();
const express = require("express");
//call express methode to creat the app
const app = express();
//mongoose import to work with the data base
const mongoose = require("mongoose");
//get access to path
const path = require("path");
//intercept any request containing json() content and put it in the request body (same as body parser)
app.use(express.json());
//=======data base connection========
//store our values away, in the .env

const mongUser = process.env.USER_MON;
console.log(mongUser);

Here is the code. (there is some other stuff lower but it's this part that is not working.

When I try to console log the general env with console.log(process.env) I get everything except what is inside my env file (at the root of the repo):

JWT_KEY=HYinity764knn9
USER_MON=myUserName

I can't see those variable in the console, i don't understand why they aren't loading. what am I missing?