Mindfulness Tips For New Mothers
The joy of spring break is upon us in my household.
That was sarcasm.
Gotta be honest with you, I don't love my son's week off from school because having my routine disrupted is stressful. Sure, I could've taken the week off, too, but I work from home, so it was manageable to both see clients virtually and keep reminding my son to take a break from his screen (which sums up about 97.8% of parenting when your kid is 12).
Although I'm DEFINITELY not as anxious as I used to be, it's always emotionally draining to have to task switch between parenting and work multiple times a day.
Adapting to the mental load of motherhood was one of the biggest challenges for me in years 0 to 5. But I think if I'd had the opportunity to practice effective and realistic coping skills, I wouldn't have struggled quite so much.
And that, my friend, is why I do what I do -- to save you years of agony. Ok, maybe that's a tad dramatic, but I really am passionate about helping new moms detach from their (and our culture's) unrealistic expectations and find more peace.
When you start practicing these skills during pregnancy, you set yourself up for a calmer and healthier postpartum.
Learning about mindful awareness has been the biggest game changer for me in my parenting, relationships, professional life, mental health, and honestly, existence in our very overstimulating and chaotic world.
(That isn't an affiliate link, by the way. I just want to share my love of this app with everyone I meet.)
If I'd known how to not react to every little feeling, fear, unexpected turn of events, and intrusive thought, my postpartum would have been so much easier. Not easy, easier. As I mentioned above, the emotional labor of momming is still really hard at times.
There were so many times when I could have reminded my sleep-deprived self that . . .
. . . you can do this one moment at a time.
. . . you can safely step away from your child for a second to take a few deep breaths.
. . . giving up breastfeeding isn't going to make your kid dumb.
. . . crying is part of baby's development and has NOTHING to do with your ability to mother.
I love that I can apply mindfulness to just about any stressor, and the more I practice it, the more I see how differently I show up for myself and how much more effectively I cope with situations that would've sent me into a panic years ago.
So, give mindfulness a try. Take the Waking Up app for a spin or google ‘mindfulness’ and do your own research.
Whatever you do, I encourage you to give some thought to how you’re coping with stress and consider what else you may need to add to your mental health toolkit before baby comes so you’re all set for the inevitable surprises and uncertainty.
Look out for next week’s blog post that dives deeper into the Waking Up app and why I love it so much.