On a Yahoo! list serve that I am on, a Mom was needing some suggestions on handling anxiety issues. I thought I'd type a couple words to give her some support, and ended up with this! I ought to have completely calm and stress-free days, considering I have all this to offer up to others that are having a stressful time, Hahah! Enjoy and make use of the following tips. This is exactly as I wrote it to the list:
I have anxiety issues as well. Through the years, different things have helped. First off, Please follow your own instincts as far as parenting and things like that go. Being told to put your baby in a crib and wean is not the best thing to have to hear when you know best what you and your family would rather be doing, LOL! I have SO been there! So, here are things I have tried to help me maintain my calm in the sometimes stormy sea of parenting small children and trying to keep my own health/life balanced.
1)Deep breathing, or even full out meditation, every so often throughout the day/night. Do it as often as you think of it, just like keigels, LOL!
2)Chest-opening Yoga moves, or just putting your hands in a door-way and holding on while you lean forward. Helps open you up and reminds you to relax your chest and shoulder muscles so the air can pass through easier. Chiropractic and massage can also do wonders to open that scrunched up chest/shoulder/neck area that gets all closed in when we're anxious!
3)Warm baths or showers, even if you have to bring the kids/baby in with you.
4)Naps with or w/out the baby whenever possible.
5)Try not to sweat the "small" stuff. Dishes in the sink don't really matter when you are being prescribed xanax to get you through the week, LOL! Let it go for a while, get friends over to help you clean {i inserted my own phone number here}, get support from husband/significant other and other relatives if possible.
6)Taking some supplements also helps. Prenatal vitamins, especially if you are nursing, Vitamin C (Emergen-C is a great one that my whole family enjoys!), Sublingual Vitamin B, etc. One I REALLY love, is Natural Calm. It is a magnesium powder mixed in hot water (coffee or tea temperature) that can relax me in just a few minutes after drinking it. Careful not to start off with too much powder in the water, it can cause diahrreah (sp).
7) Bach's Flower essences have many mixtures that can help with anxiety, depending on the specific way you feel. Google it, if you're interested. I keep and use a liquid dropper bottle and a spray bottle of Bach's Rescue Remedy in my home and in my car. (This is also a great one for kids too!) I also use Lavendar oil on my wrists and just to sniff it in the bottle during times of frustration/stress with the kids.
8) Drink lots of water and eat when you are hungry.
If I can think of more, I'll let you know. Talking and journaling are also good. Talk therapy is doing wonders for me!! Mom's nights out are also helpful, along with any alone time you can squeeze in. I don't believe we were meant to be so far removed from each other that each Mom has to parent alone while each dad goes off to work or even vice/versa. I do believe we were meant to do this (raising families) as a community effort! I think that's why groups like this and others I have heard of are so vital to women! Here we can find the support we are meant to have and the information we need to make the wisest choices for taking care of our familes and ourselves.
I hope some of it can help if you are having anxiety troubles.
Love, Me
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