Exhale: A Blog for Women’s Mental & Emotional Health
If you’re a mom that has struggled with anxiety for some time, you may not know the difference between an episode of extreme anxiety and a panic attack. While panic attacks sit under the umbrella of ‘anxiety disorders’ they are far more severe and come on much more suddenly than a quick bout of anxious thoughts.
Becoming a mom, whether for the first or fifth time, thrusts your life into a consistent cycle of change. Whether you’re figuring out how to adjust from breastfeeding to bottle feeding, preparing for your kid to go from Pre-K to Kindergarten, moving from a career outside the home to staying at home with your kids, or sending your teen off to their driver’s license test, the changes that present themselves in motherhood are like waves – both big and small – that never stop breaking on the shore.
For any woman who has found herself pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic, expectations have had to be adjusted based on the requirements and guidelines of the doctors’ offices and delivery settings. And while these adjustments have required pregnant women in New Orleans to shift their expectations, there has been a fair amount of time to process and accept those changes and disappointments.
But one thing that no expectant mom was prepared to deal with is the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. For women who are still pregnant and for those who are newly postpartum, life is currently filled with so many unknowns, so much worry, anxiety, and sadness. Where you are in your pregnancy or postpartum experience may impact the intensity of those emotions and the types of questions you find your anxious mind mulling over.
So many moms are still having to wear all the hats (work hat, chef hat, educator hat, etc.), while also navigating the numerous challenges COVID-19 brings to daily life. Many of us are experiencing COVID fatigue and feeling burnt out from parenting during a pandemic. And let me validate those feelings: This burnout is real.
While the openness of people in the public spotlight has begun to normalize the discussions surrounding mental health struggles, in my conversations with friends and colleagues and in my work with clients, I have found that many of us still hold self-judgment and shame over our own struggles with anxiety and depression. As I’ve talked with other women, there are three common narratives many women seem to believe about themselves and their mental health that make acceptance of one’s anxiety and depression extremely challenging.
For us all, 2020 has certainly been a year that we will not quickly forget. When the coronavirus first hit, none of us predicted that life would look like it does today. “Oh, I can’t wait to be stuck in my house, homeschooling my kids, while trying to still get by, day by day, during a global pandemic with no end in sight,” said no mom ever. Yet, here we are – over two months into this life-altering time in history, and with little clarity on how life proceeds from here.
The start of a new year often brings a full mix of emotions: excitement for new beginnings, grief over what has changed, anticipation of things to come, exhaustion from the stress of the holidays.
With the new year also comes lists of goals, ideas, and resolutions we seek to cultivate in the days to come. Some of us want to create new health habits; others want to find a new hobby, while someone else strives for financial goals. Each person seeks different intentions and desires with the new year, but one goal should be on everyone’s 2020 list: self-care.
When you fly on an airplane, you need to put your oxygen mask on before putting one on your child. And that is a perfect metaphor for the importance of self-care as a busy mom. If we don’t have our oxygen masks on first, we can’t help our little ones with theirs. So, here are five more ideas of how you can practice self-care as a busy mom.
The role of “Mom” requires you to constantly pour out of your cup to meet the needs of these young ones. However, when our own cups are empty, it’s nearly impossible to cope with our own stress and anxiety. But how are you supposed to nurture yourself when your schedule barely allows you time to shower? I’ve got ten ideas for ways you can practice self-care as a busy mom .
Ever since my son was able to walk, we’ve been going to the same playground regularly. He knows the different slides he likes, the stairs he religiously climbs again and again, and the swinging bridge he’s been too nervous to cross for months. It became almost comical how he would run up to this bridge, only to abruptly stop. Occasionally he would cautiously dip his toe on the bridge to assess his safety, and immediately turn around and head in the opposite direction.
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