Pregnancy and stress don't have to go hand in hand. Here are a variety of simple tips and techniques to shift your mood and focus to a more positive place. These natural remedies for stress and anxiety will help you reconnect with your playful inner child and allow you to actively celebrate and enjoy your pregnancy:
- Cultivating gratitude and appreciation: Worries about pregnancy and stress from the day can be effectively displaced by focusing on gratitude. You may choose to keep a gratitude journal or simply begin and/or end your day by remembering things you appreciate or are grateful for. Choose five things in the morning and five things before going to sleep. This practice sets the tone for a positive day and restful sleep.
- Appreciate your body and the changes that are happening: Take a moment to notice and admire your body whenever you pass a mirror, in the shower and getting dressed. Invite your partner to take lots of belly shots to document your changing body.
- Dance: Turn on your favorite music and boogie! Besides being fun and stress relieving, it's good exercise, too. And dancing cultivates body awareness and develops strength, tone and flexibility in your hips and birthing muscles. This will translate to more confidence in your body and easier birthing.
- Sing: In the car, in the shower, wherever... It will lighten your spirits and the baby will love it!
- Smile: In his book "Peace is Every Step," Thich Nhat Hanh writes of the importance of smiling for cultivating awareness, peace and happiness. He suggests remembering to smile when you wake up each morning. Then throughout the day remember to smile as often as you can. Allow your smile to radiate in all directions until it encompasses your entire body and aura.
- Laugh out loud: Seriously, lighten up! Can you remember the last time you had a teary-eyed belly laugh? I don't know if you're like me, but I tend to be on the serious side. I realized one day how little I laughed out loud and became intentional about seeing the humor in life and getting the giggles more often. Laughter really is the best medicine for stress.
- Connect with your baby: Take at least 5 minutes every day to put your attention on your belly and growing baby, focusing positive energy and warmth there with a smiling heart. Talk to your baby as it feels natural to do. You can trust that you and the baby are bonding and experiencing tremendous benefit from these interactions.
- Pamper yourself and do things you enjoy: A massage, a manicure, a bubble bath, a walk on the beach, reading, baking...whatever feels good to you feels good to the baby. Adorn yourself with pretty, sparkly jewelry. The more you fill your own cup with these acts of love for yourself, the more you have to share. Also, you may have to give some of these things up for a while or modify them considerably once baby comes, so enjoy these while you can!
- Enjoy intimacy with your partner: Intimacy comes in many forms: physical, mental and emotional. Take advantage of the many ways to enjoy and connect together. Sex during pregnancy can be tricky at times, but overall it's a great opportunity to deepen your relationship as you prepare for a new addition to your family.
- Get out in nature: Being outside is simultaneously soothing and invigorating. When you're feeling stressed, get outdoors if at all possible. Be mindful as you experience nature with all your senses. As you move beyond your thoughts and tune into the wisdom of nature, you can appreciate how your body, pregnancy and upcoming birth vibrate in harmony with this wisdom.
- Relax: There are many relaxation techniques available and mastering a few will be beneficial for pregnancy and stress relief, as well as in coping with the sensations of labor. Relaxation can be rooted in a physical, mental or emotional practice, however, they are all interconnected.
- Get Adjusted: Chiropractic has been shown to tremendously reduce the stresses an expectant mother undergoes with her new body changes. When the nervous system is freed from stress patterns our bodies become more at ease. So don't forget to include this crucial aspect of having a natural pregnancy!
The more you integrate these ideas into your daily life, the more you will eliminate any negative effects related to pregnancy and stress.
