A chaotic mind spells stress for the human body, and it’s even more so when you’re pregnant. It gives way to anxiety, panic attacks, unwanted thoughts, etc. Well, you might say that your mind seems to be on autopilot and you can’t control what comes in and goes out, but we’re here to tell you that you can and you should. Let us give you a few tips.
Pregnancy represents an opportunity for tremendous personal growth and development. If a woman ever has anything about herself she would like to change, in terms of habits, diet, etc, she’ll probably not procrastinate as much when she’s pregnant. This is because she’s not doing it just for herself, but for her baby and her family too. So yes, pregnancy is an excellent time for women to become more in-tune with their body, their inner being, their feelings as well as their thoughts.
When it comes to matters of the mind, most people either brush them off, or are intrigued by the subject, but not necessarily take it upon themselves to make any changes for their personal growth. This is a shame, for there are countless mental, spiritual and even physical benefits, of calming your soul and making peace with yourself. Here are some points to take in.
Sit, breathe and do nothing else
Each day, allocate a few minutes to just sit, breathe and relax. For most of us, it’s not easy to have zero thoughts while doing this, but you can choose to have wonderful thoughts if you put your mind to it. Close your eyes and connect with your precious baby. Take into account that countless women all over the world do not have this opportunity to carry a baby, and how fortunate you are to be given this opportunity. Allow your worries to slowly drift away as you concentrate on the little miracle growing inside you. Day by day, if you stick to this, you will see that your mind becomes more and more mindful in savouring the good things in your life, especially right now!
My body rocks!
Let this be your mantra: My body rocks! If you stop to consider all the magical things going on inside your womb right now, you’ll start to appreciate your body more and more. This is especially so for women who have a hard time with self-acceptance. To many women, as joyous as pregnancy is to them, they still grimace at the sight of their body changing from day to day. When a slender figure has to give way for a rounded one during pregnancy, not all women can accept it graciously. If you haven’t always practised body acceptance up to this point in your life, this would be a great time to start. So, whose body rocks? YOURS does!
Adopt a willing-to-learn mindset
There is never a wrong time to learn anything new. Connect with relatives or friends who have been on this pregnancy journey before you. Let them share their experiences with you. Ask them everything they know about pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood. If you have friends who have recently given birth, ask them for recommendations on helpful community resources (birth centres, lactation consultants, mom and baby groups) and information sources (books, websites, videos). Adopting a willing to learn mindset is another way to create mindfulness during this precious period of your life.
Welcome the fact that you feel like you still have so much to learn about the journey ahead. Let that trigger hunger for new knowledge about birth, babies, and beyond.
What exactly does being mindful mean?
It’s not something unachievable as many would have thought – and let it be known that there is no hocus-pocus involved in being mindful. As you take some time out each day to just sit and reflect, you will inevitably introduce the elements of mindfulness into your life as a pregnant woman and, eventually, a new mother. Being mindful means:
- Being fully present at the moment. This means no more letting your thoughts wander back to the past, especially at unpleasant incidents – you’d be better off abandoning. these thoughts than obsessing about them, or worrying about the future.
- Being nonjudgmental. This may be harder than you think! How many times have you seen a person in dirty clothing, or an individual who does not seem to have control over her child, or even a woman who is in clothing that seems way too tight for her, and we think: Does that person not know how to be clean/be a good mom/dress herself? These are our usual judgemental selves, really. It takes a lot of practice to catch ourselves in such thoughts and replace them with kinder, more accepting thoughts. Try it – it makes a world of difference in your own personal growth.
- Being emotionally aware of your own needs and the needs of others. Oftentimes, we sacrifice our need to be hugged, smiled at, loved. Being emotionally aware of these needs will allow you to ask for what you need to feel whole. You’ll also find yourself more responsive to the needs of others.
- Managing your own emotions gracefully. We all have it in us to resist overreacting when things don’t go our way – it’s a question of whether or not we care to practise it. Keeping our negative emotions in check will help you react with your big-picture values and goals in mind.
- Practising compassion. Again, this is not just for others, but for yourself as well. Being too hard on yourself gets you nowhere, especially during this delicate period of your life. No matter what kind of mistake you may have made, forgive yourself and move on. Compassion towards others, on the other hand, will come in useful throughout your parenting journey, for a compassionate heart is always willing to see the good in things, no matter what the situation is.
