5 Ways New Moms Can De-Stress by Sophia Smith
Almost all the stories you hear during those nine blissful months revolve around how the baby will transform your life in the best possible ways. You’ll gain a whole new perspective, you’ll embrace a completely new role, you’ll have a new purpose. Instagram is especially good at filtering the idealized version of momhood compared to the more complex reality. What about the pain of delivering the baby, the stress and psychological toll of it all that could lead to postpartum depression and anxiety? What about sleep deprivation, getting your baby to latch, and first ear infections?
Aside from instructional manuals, moms often feel stuck when faced with such a complicated reality so rarely depicted online and in magazines. Today, we’re here to face the stress. With moms, it’s not always about eliminating the underlying issue, because sometimes the culprit of the zero-sleep policy can be your newborn baby. So, we deal with the consequences in the form of negativity, stress, and emotional turmoil by granting you a few hand-picked, stress-battling solutions you can try.
Talk to your partner in baby-crime
Your partner is your greatest ally in this learning period of becoming a mom. And that’s just it: you’re not instantly a mom simply by giving birth to a baby, you need to learn the ropes, it’s a role you assume. To do that, you often need the help of your partner in order to take a break, get some sleep, rest your feet, or take a walk in the park.
Handling stress will become much easier when you have someone to rely on, especially if that person knows when and to what extent they need to take over certain chores and encourage you to take care of yourself.
Add meditation to your schedule
Sometimes, it’s not about treating stress, but becoming more effective at preventing it altogether. Sure, your bundle of joy will always come up with new ways to prompt anxiety and worry in your loving heart, but there are situations and triggers you can become more impervious to over time. One way to train and soothe your mind is to rely on meditation apps that guide you through the process and give you those precious minutes of self-reflection and being present in the given moment.
Meditating with or without guidance can be beneficial even if you have just five minutes in the morning. You can even do it while you rock your baby to sleep, while you’re brushing your teeth, or while you’re lying in bed before you fall asleep.
Talk to other first-time moms
Whenever we face a first in our lives, we feel utterly alone. It’s no different when you become a mom. Even with an entire army of family members eager and ready to help you adjust, you are the one that has just given birth to an earthling, and you are the one who needs to connect and bond with your quirky little newborn. To not feel alone but recognize the power in numbers, you can use apps for moms where you can meet and talk to other women in similar, if not the same shoes.
These digital tools help form communities for those who feel alone, new moms included. You’ll be able to seek and get advice, share your thoughts, and use these little digital gatherings as a way to embrace your new role as a mom with fewer setbacks and more support.
Take some time for yourself
Once you become a mom, it seems that all other roles fade, or at least spend some time overshadowed by your new primary role. To take some time to yourself doesn’t mean to turn back on your inner mama. It just means taking a moment to honor everything else that you are, a person, a human being, a woman, an artist, a gourmet, a sexual creature, a singer, a dancer.
Define that time on your own terms. Whether you get a professional massage, spend an afternoon in a spa, or ask your partner or parents to take care of your baby while you run around your house and sing – it’s entirely up to you. What matters most is that you do what makes you feel alive and what helps you heal. Even if it means taking the afternoon to cry your eyes out and then put on a hydration mask and some cucumbers on those tired eyes.
Pick up a pen
Words can have healing powers, when you know how to turn to them. As a brand-new mom adjusting to this new role of yours, perhaps finding your words can be tricky when you’re attempting to understand your emotions and all of your innermost troubles. Language can help, so writing a journal every day, or a few days per week, can be helpful to give you a deeper insight into yourself and your emotions.
You can even focus a part of your journal to be positive, so that you can teach your mind to pay more attention to the aspects of your life you enjoy the most. Outlining positive events, outcomes, memories, and attitudes can help guide you throughout the day.
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to being a parent, or even handling stress. Your baby is as unique as you are and you’re bound to come across a slew of unique issues, or some that may seem one-of-a-kind until another mom in your community sighs and tells you “been there”. Hang in there, mama. It’s important to give yourself credit, to grant yourself some time to breathe, and to discover your own learning curve. Rely on these activities (or the lack thereof) to spark your own relief from stress, and enjoy parenthood all the more for it.
Sophia Smith is a beauty and style blogger, an eco-lifestyle lover, a graphic designer and DIY enthusiast. She is very passionate about minimalist wardrobe, yoga and mindful living. Sophia loves sharing meaningful content that educates and inspires people. She writes mostly about lifestyle-related topics in her blogs and articles. She has contributed to a number of publications including Carousel, BonVita Style, Eco Warrior Princess, How to Simplify and Art of Healthy Living. You can find out more about her writing by following her below.