Friday felt like I had the WHOLE world on my shoulders. I'm not usually the type of person to get stressed but I can very easily feel overwhelmed. I had a very challenging week where my husband was away on business, Eden what having a VERY (understatement) challenging week and my puppy was going through an 'I'm going to test everything' phase. Each element alone is fine, even two parts combined is OK, but three all in one week......and I'm a mess!!
I was trying to dry my hair in the bathroom and Eden is doing her usual empty the bathroom cabinet whilst my husband is down stairs...and that was it....I picked her up....stormed downstairs....and threw her at my husband (ok not literally, that would be child/husband abuse)....went back upstairs and sobbed my little heart out. My hair never got dried that day!
It happens even to the best of us. We ALLLLL have them, some once a week and some once a year. I never really thought about how to change these episodes until now. But it really is useful for your mental health and well-being to put systems in place to help you out when you feel like 'LIFE' is getting too much. Even if it isn't depression the Canadian Mental Health Association (www.cmha.ca) has some really useful information about looking after your mental health.
Here is what I learned;
- Have a good support system. This could be friends, extended family, neighbors and of course your husband (when he is there)
- Have food available in the freezer for easy access. When times are tough and you REALLY don't feel like cooking, have a couple back up meals in the freezer waiting.
- Schedule activities in the week. For this week I had very few plans which meant I sat around the house feeling sorry for myself.
- Sleep. Whether it be a nap during the day or going to bed extra early, just make sure you get what you need to recharge for the next day.
- Indulge yourself. This could be something as small as having a coffee in a coffee shop, going for a pedicure or having a nice long bath while everyone is sleeping.
Next week is another challenging week for me so I have hired some help (my mother-in-law), planned some alone time and prepared some quick and easy meals I can make when time is a challenge.
I hope this help all you mamas feel 'normal' and give you some tools to fight through the tough times. If you're a new mom and it seems like more than just feeling low/overwhelmed talk to someone. There is help out there.
“Its natural for new parents to experience mood swings, feeling joyful one minute and depressed the next. These feelings are sometimes known as the ‘baby blues,’ and often go away soon after birth. However, some parents may experience a deep and ongoing depression that last much longer. This is called postpartum depression.”
Yours in health, Lucy.