Welcome to the heartbeat of Integrative Counsel, our blog where tranquility meets transformation. This is your sanctuary for insights and wisdom on nurturing a harmonious connection between mind, body, and spirit.
Are you struggling with postpartum anxiety and depression? Are you feeling overwhelmed and burned out as a mom? You love being a mom, and you love your children, but the demands are starting to weigh you down. You may feel anger, anxiety, and depression. You might feel depleted and impatient, lash out at your family, and then feel guilty for acting this way. You also might feel disconnected from yourself and have a hard time loving your body and the changes it has gone through. Your self-esteem is plummeting and on top of it, you are fully responsible for another human being. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed, and it is okay to ask for and receive help. Here are five tips that can help you get through postpartum depression and anxiety:
Postpartum depression and anxiety can feel really intense. It is important to remember that these intense feelings will subside and that these are temporary feelings and thoughts. Sometimes it is helpful to gently remind ourselves of this impermanence. That way, you are able to sit with the intensity, let the emotions flow through you, and then release them.
I vividly recall feeling the pressure of caring for my newborn while preparing to return to work and still trying to keep up with fabric diapers (so stressful!). We can have good intentions, but it is important to know what our limits are. This applies to breastfeeding as well. Try not to put yourself under unnecessary pressure. No mother is the same, and everyone has a different bandwidth. Don’t beat yourself up for not having the bandwidth to handle certain aspects of motherhood. Accept that you can only do what you can do.
Some days the best we can do as a mom is putting on Baby Shark and deep breathing in the kitchen (shout out to whoever created Baby Shark). Your “best” differs depending on your mood, sleep, and other factors, like your menstrual cycle. There are times when you are in the “spring” of your cycle, where you have the energy to go above and beyond, but you will also inevitably experience the “winter” of your cycle, where you are moody, irritable, and have much less energy and tolerance. Accept yourself wherever you are that day, allowing yourself to be as you are.
It can be a challenge to get time to yourself when you are a new mother and to feel balanced. It’s very important for your mental health that you get time to rest. Resting is not just about relaxing your body, but your mind as well, and doing what you want to do without the expectation of being productive. Set an intention to be peaceful, present, and balanced, and recharge by sitting in the sun, taking a long walk in nature, watching an episode of your favorite show, reading a book, getting a facial or a massage, etc.
Seeing a therapist can help you make sense of your new experiences. Being a new mother is not easy, but having someone there to reassure you, check your blind spots, and see the bigger picture can help you get through the darkness of postpartum depression and anxiety.
Starting with a creative written voice and a BA in English from ASU, Alli Cravener has become so much more than Integrative Counsel’s voice! Not only is she a writer who is passionate about connecting concepts and content, Alli is also currently a grad student working towards her Master’s in Counseling. She is also the editor-in-chief, office manager, AND intake specialist at Integrative Counsel. When you call us, you’ll talk to Alli! Alli’s interests include painting, history, learning about other people, and wearing the color pink. She likens herself to a “mouse in a palm tree”, and she loves it that way.
June 29, 2022
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