Our mothers they are a walking miracle as they understand us even when we don’t speak but this Mother’s Day 2022 it’s a good time to allow them to let go of the burden of societal expectations, slow down, take a breath, and prioritize their own emotional and mental issues. Health although they hardly have time to take proper care of their physical health. In a society where motherhood and sacrifice are often seen as synonymous, more often than not, moms don’t take care of themselves, and according to a survey, moms put their health and wellness at the bottom of the list because they do juggling many roles, such as caregiver, partner, homemaker, employee, daughter-in-law, and many others.
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Each of these roles is governed by attitudes, beliefs, and perspectives, and most of them have a set of many unrealistic expectations and demands, which often turn out to be very demanding on physical and mental health. According to health experts, postpartum depression is quite common in India, affecting approximately 20-25% of new mothers in our country, where women go through life-changing physical, mental and emotional experiences in the time of delivery.
With mental health care at a critical point, many new mothers feel increasingly isolated and left to fend for themselves, therefore postpartum depression can occur for the first time in pregnancy, for the first time after childbirth or may be preceded by a recognized problem. or not recognized before the woman is pregnant. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, wellness coach Veena Majitya shared: “Stress and pressure are a normal part of modern life. Many times we face a situation that we go through both personally and professionally. In situations like these, it helps to know or learn how to calm down.”
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She advised: “One should always begin by taking a deep breath. Taking deep breaths helps you focus and release stress and relaxes you much faster than anything else. If you’re under pressure at work, just take a 5-minute walk. Look around you, get some fresh air, it will help you think better and help you think of different options. The most important and proven technique is to meditate. Meditation is not just crossing your leg and closing your eyes. It requires you to sit quietly and focus on your breath and it will benefit you to manage your emotions well, relax, release stress and keep your mind calm.”
Adding her expertise to it and suggesting mental health tips for moms and mother figures to keep their minds calm, Sheetal Shaparia, life coach, astrologer, and tasseographer, revealed, “If you want to keep your mind calm, you first need to keep your body stable. Our mind and body are interconnected, so if your body is healthy, your mind will eventually settle down. Some activities you can consider doing are regular exercise, eating on time, having balanced meals, and getting a good night’s sleep. Beware of thought traps , they are easy to make us fall into a negative spiral”.
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He added: “Overthinking things will never get us in the right direction. You should hold on to those things that restore positivity between us. Slow down and relax, give yourself time, meet or connect with friends and family and have a laugh. We often hear people say ‘I woke up on the wrong side of the bed’. The best trick is to go to sleep with positive thoughts and wake up with fresh thoughts. Affirmations are a great way to instill motivational thoughts in your head. Start with positive affirmations at the beginning of the day so that you feel good from the inside out for the rest of the day.”
According to Mylo’s Mother’s Day survey of 2000 pregnant and new mothers, it was revealed that 76% of mothers say that juggling every day is the root cause of stress, for 50% of mothers , aiming for happiness and not perfection is your panacea. to calm down, talking to someone they trust helps 52% of moms relieve stress, moms turn to their own moms as their most sought-after ‘vent partner,’ and nearly 50% of moms agree that maternal mental health is an issue ignored due to lack of understanding.
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Richa Vashista, AtEase’s Chief Mental Health Expert, explained: “Being a new mum can be an exciting experience, but at the same time it can trigger a complex mix of emotions such as anxiety and fear. Understanding and coping with postpartum depression (PPD) is crucial as it can have detrimental effects on the family and a woman’s confidence in her ability to be a good mother. While a new mom tries to provide the best care for her child, her family and herself, she also needs to find ways to take care of her own health.”
She recommended: “Exercising and maintaining a healthy diet during the postpartum period is one way to improve psychological well-being and ease symptoms of postpartum depression. Bonding with the newborn benefits both mother and child, as close contact with the baby releases oxytocin, which makes the mother feel happier. New moms shouldn’t forget to take care of themselves while focusing on the little one. Practicing self-care, spending quality time with family and friends, making time to rest to deal with sleep deprivation, and engaging in hobbies are an important part of postpartum care and recovery.”
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