Happy Mothers Day Ladies!
Today is a reminder of how becoming a mom has been so rewarding and challenging all at the same time. I am more aware now, how important mental health is and even so much more for moms, all types of moms, because we all don’t fit into one kind of mom mold. We each have our own perfect and a unique little human(s) whom we have to care for. I know in doing so I have forgotten, ignored, mom guilted myself into some reason why it is not necessary and I put myself; my mental health last in the attempt to be the best mom I could for my little ones. But that didn’t always work for me because then I was over tired, irritable, lonely, anxious, negative and not being the best mom I needed to be. Not only did it affect how I was as a mom but it affected how I saw myself how I interacted with my husband, and family around me. I was not being myself because I was not honoring myself and my mental health as a mom, a wife, or as a woman.
For instance not sleeping enough, unhealthy diet, lack of social interaction, or personal down time are some things in our daily life that can affect of mental health. All things a mom deals with while taking care of their children, right? There have been countless sleepless nights that have run into days and days where I wouldn’t eat for half the day than I’d binge eat everything in sight, all not good for me. It made me feel very inadequate as a mom and I knew I needed to be true to myself. Even though being a mom is hard it can get easier while dealing with mental health conditions like anxiety or postpartum depression, here are some things that worked for me.
- Be honest with yourself about what you are feeling
- Speaking to a Professional
- Reaching out to a friend
- Deep Breathing – this is my go to when I am under stress but even I forget sometimes.
- Taking a Walk and finding your Breath
- Working Out
- Meditation/Yoga
As a stay at a home mom I now joke about when I worked outside of my home that I would call in sick just because I would need a mental health day. Now I don’t have the opportunity to call out sick much so my mental health days are rare. But I do remember how that day to recuperate and do the things I loved would be exactly what I needed. What do you do what you need to maintain your mental health?
Thank you for reading.
Cindy
