Oh, Baby: A Mini-Manual for Nervous New Moms

 

If you’re like a lot of new moms, your mind is awash with a remarkable assortment of feelings. Overwhelming love for your newborn is a lovely thing to feel. Tension and anxiety, not so much, yet they too are perfectly normal feelings for brand new mommies. If you’re feeling a bit nervous, relax. Your baby looks up to you and believes you know everything. Learn to slow down, smell the proverbial roses, and take a load off your mind with meditation, mindfulness and art therapy.

Art as mind and body therapy

One of the coolest things about ‘art therapy’ is that you don’t have to be a fabulous artist in order to reap its many benefits, says Huffington Post. Creating art, whether with clay, paint, paper, or digital devices, reduces cortisol levels in scientific studies. Cortisol is a stress-related body chemical that can lead to all sort of health issues if high levels are left unchecked.

Sometimes, just taking an hour for yourself can refresh your mind and help you feel more appreciative of your position as a new mommy. Maybe you don’t have time or space to haul out an easel and a box of oil paints and brushes, but you can always find time and room to color mandalas with the help of a free Android app. If delightful colors and intricate geometric patterns appeal to your creative nature, download Coloring Book for Me at the Google Play store. Try this app and you may find yourself feeling more serene and grateful than you have in a very long time.

Apps for relaxation and stress reduction

In this 21st century, there’s no reason a new mom can’t indulge in a few smartphone apps that focus on relaxation and mood management.

Pacifica is just such an app, Available for Android and iPhone, Pacifica offers written or audio journaling that may help users observe activities that trigger feelings of anxiety, sadness, or frustration.This self-help app also helps new moms set attainable, happiness affirming goals.

My Mood Tracker is just what it sounds like. This handy app helps users monitor their moods, medicines, menstrual cycles and sleep patterns. Hubspot notes that the paid version of My Mood Tracker is more robust that the free edition, but either is worth the download if you want to monitor your moods.

What other moms do

Ask experienced mommies how they got through the first weeks of motherhood, and they’ll tell you all sorts of different tricks. Among the top advice they give is to sleep when baby sleeps. Catch a few winks here and there, and don’t even expect to have a full night’s sleep for awhile. If it happens, rejoice. It won’t be long before that sweet baby could be a teenager who wants to sleep all day.

Don’t hesitate to ask your mom, sister or neighbor to watch baby while you have a bit of me-time. Replenishing your own mood will help you be a better mommy in the long run.