Postpartum Anxiety – My Coping Mechanisms

Sharing is caring!

Have you ever wondered why you worry so much? 

Well I have, but I just thought it was apart of motherhood – constantly pushing those feelings down by telling myself “all this worry is normal” Turns out worry is common, but it is the level of worry I had, that I finally realized wasn’t okay – thanks to my therapist! Lately I find that we don’t talk about this enough. We need to have more of these conversations.

I have struggled with general anxiety for the majority of my adult life, but I thought I had it managed. Then I became a mom and I confused my general anxiety with my postpartum anxiety. Maybe one fed the other – I honestly don’t know.

Right now I am just trying to get through it step by step the best I can. Let me start by emphasizing that I am in no way a medical professional and I am also still navigating through this, but would like to share what has been successful for me so far. Some of these coping techniques may not totally work for you but I hope that at least one will. If you think you struggle with anxiety I strongly suggest that you reach out to your doctor, it has helped me more than I could have ever expected. 

When my therapist told me it sounds like I may have PPA, I had to ask her what it was. Up until then I had only heard of Postpartum Depression. Then I thought to myself “How? He is 3 years old? Shouldn’t I be over this by now. I am well past the baby stage”. She explained to me I have had it undiagnosed this whole time and it has probably just continued to get more severe. 

Postpartum anxiety disorder is a cousin to postpartum depression (PPD). Signs you may be suffering from PPA are excessive worrying, racing thoughts, and feelings of dread. Here is a great article from Parents magazine:

Postpartum Anxiety Article

As I work through this and my general anxiety I am always trying to find coping mechanisms that work for me. Some of them are as follows:

Let’s get into my techniques…

Lists:

For as long as I can remember I make lists…and lots of them! I have so many lists, that I actually get picked on for it, but I don’t even care. List are my attempt stay organized and clear headed. I write everything down! Everything! My brain is so scattered with a million things to do, if I don’t write it down I will lose track and not get anything done. Parents have a million things running through their minds everyday – how can we keep it all straight. As parents we were so many hats, especially Moms. Not saying that Dads don’t – I would be lost without my husband! However, sometimes when you are just in that toddler stage (like I am right now) only Mom can help – you know exactly what I am talking about  🙂

Recently I have started break them up into categories instead of having one long running list. This helps with prioritizing what needs to be done now and what can hold off.

Here are some of my list types:

1. Running Grocery List – keep this one very accessible. I bought this from Target and I just keep it on the refrigerator so we can both add to it 
2. Weekend To Do – Some items I add to this one is the big cleaning tasks, some family fun and our weekend menu plan
3. General Running To Do – This is the biggest list. This is my catch all. I also use it as a reference to pick just a couple of things off of it that I can accomplish. I will even take a couple of items from this one and add it to my Weekend To Do
4. Things I need to buy – this is different than the grocery list. I keep this for random things that pop into my head. Gift Ideas, Items for the house, fun stuff, etc

I enjoy this pad. It has a hard cover and back so it is almost like a built in clipboard.

Journaling:

This one is new to me, but it is helping me in so many ways. I was so lost when I ordered my journal. What do I write? I don’t feel like I have anything important to write? 

Journaling can be anything you want it to be. What you had for dinner. Daily goals. Family memories. The possibilities are endless. Once you start writing I bet you would be surprised with how much you have to say. Some of my journal entries are just a couple of lines, while others will be pages long. 

If you decide to start a journal, I highly recommend finding a space that is all your own. When I write, this is my time, only me – no distractions. Then is also becomes my quiet time. All of this helps me a lot with my anxiety. It allows me time to reboot and it also allows me the ability to shut off from all responsibilities, even if it is only for 10 minutes. This brings me into my next tip…

Wake up Early:

Now when I say wake up early I mean at least an hour before everyone in your house. I am NOT a morning person, so everyday is a battle for me, but I am so thankful once I do. This allows me some time to work on my list for the day, write in my journal, drink my coffee, or even just scroll through my instagram feed. When I am struggling to get up in the morning, I give myself a little pep talk: “My future self will thank me for this!”

We also just recently bought these lights for behind the headboard of our bed. I like them because I can set them to turn on at a specific time and you can choose the color and brightness. The light helps me get up, but they don’t distract my husband. 

Mindfullness video:

So this isn’t an actual video that you watch – but more of a nice voice teaching you how to center yourself. The first time I tried it, my mind definitely wandered, but I stuck with it and kept getting back into it. If you can keep at it from time to time, the easier it will be. This particular one has really helped me. I find this to be very helpful when I feel like my anxiety is at a higher lever. 

 

Reaching out to someone:

I must admit that I am not the best at this. Just another one of those things I am working on. My husband is my major support system, so he tends to get the brunt of my needing to talk through things. It is very important to have someone on lean on or vent with. You may find yourself surprised on how much someone is going through something similar. Ignore that feeling of guilt that you bringing someone down with your “issues”, but like my therapist explained to me – you can talk to someone and they will listen and hold your feelings in their hands, but then when you are done they will give all of that back. You will feel better reaching to someone and chances are they will feel great that they were able to help you.

In conclusion:

If you feel like you are battling with PPD or PPA, I highly suggest reaching out to someone, but in the meantime I sincerely hope that some of my coping mechanisms can offer some resolution for you.

Sending Lots Love!