Pregnancy can be stressful. We all know this. But in a pandemic and a year where literally anything seems plausible? You’ve got yourself a recipe for potential disaster.
A friend of mine, who works as a high school teacher, is now 7 months along and has been fraught with anxiety over the last few months. She’s torn between going back to school and teaching her classroom babies and keeping her own little one safe.
If you are going through something similar where you feel more anxious then usual, you are not alone and it's okay.
My friend has taken to redecorating her nursery and buying baby everything she could ever want or need to alleviate her anxiety. We understand that retail therapy is definitely not for everyone, so here are some practical ways to set your mind at ease.
First and probably the most important, don’t believe every clickbait headline you see. It might be the year anything is possible but, generally speaking, if it sounds sensational and a bit outlandish - then it probably is. If a headline makes you nervous, simply read through the entire article. 9 out of 10 times it isn’t nearly as bad as the headline makes it out to be.
In the unlikely case that the headline is as bad they claim it to be, take your time and give yourself some room to feel your feelings. If you are angry, anxious, or just plain sad, accept those feelings and give yourself a break to vent your emotions.
If that doesn’t work, reach out to someone you trust - be that your partner or a friend. Video chat, call, or just text your loved ones. These are all ways you can connect, relax, and take that much-needed break to simply talk, laugh, and share.
If all of those don t work, do something you enjoy. There are many ways to relax and destress, ranging from walks to movies, mediation, reading, or cooking. Do whatever feels good to you. If you want to binge-watch Netflix, take the time and do just that. If yoga is your thing, break out the yoga mat and get the most from your yoga session. The important thing here is to just do something that you genuinely enjoy doing.
My children are a bit older; they are six and four respectively. I have always had a love for books and reading. What I found helped me during lockdown was making time to read a good book myself and to read with my little ones. This has given me both an escape and extra bonding time with my children as we learn together.
While doing this, I found an amazing website that teaches children to read. It starts by simply teaching them various sounds. From there, it teaches them how to put those sounds together into words. If you are interested, you can find the program in this link
You can even start teaching your child from 3 years old, I tried it myself on my boy and he is doing so good.