One of my friends and I became new mothers only a few months' apart. Since then we have tried our best to help and encourage each other to cruise through this journey smoothly.
Recently, she reached out to me asking if there is something I can tell her to help ease her anxiety on missing out on stuff that she would like to do and cannot find time anymore. She has been feeling very stressed out about this.
I can totally relate with her sentiment of feeling anxious and racing against time with her son. I had anxiety episodes myself a few weeks back, so much so, that I was sleepless until way early in the morning. Almost insomnia had set in! It was simply horrible. Since then, I have taken a few steps to be included in my daily routine for not letting the lack of time for things that I want to do take precedence over enjoying motherhood. This is what I do.
- Drink my cuppa joy before 12 pm, so that I am not caffeinated in the afternoon going into evening.
- Try and practice yoga and breathing for at least 20-30 minutes every evening, when my son takes his nap.
- Take a relaxing lukewarm shower/bath with epsom slat soap/body wash and let the water run to wash most of the sentiments that cause anxiety away.
- Put some calming sounds/songs in the background for my son and myself.
- Try and watch or listen to a podcast or webinar relevant to my area of interest, if possible.
- Ban all electronic devices (phone, tablet, audio devices, e-readers and so on) from the bedroom. I actually try to follow the discipline of not touching any electronic device from 10 pm- 10 am. This has def. helped me. I read paper based books or magazines.
- Pen down your thoughts in a diary and go over that list in the morning. Everything can wait and is less important than your peace of mind and sleep.
- Try to meditate before going to sleep. This is one of the best techniques that has definitely helped me in getting to sleep faster.
- Try and go to a happy place in your mind while you meditate. I am a beach bum and the pic in this blog post is my happy place to go anytime.
- You may also drink a lukewarm cup/glass of 2% milk. That also calms me down.
- Last but not the least, just be gentle on yourself. Try to enjoy this break from the rush rush rush of our modern, city/urban and fast paced life.
I hope that these tips will help you all too.
Are you a new Mom? Do you remember when you were a new Mom and the tips that you followed to relieve yourself of anxiety? Please feel free to share them in the comments section or email at pallavibharatgmaildotcom.
Thanks for reading!
