Managing Anxiety in a Chaotic World: How Moms Can and Should Prioritize Their Mental Health

Do you ever try to think back to what life was like before you had children? You were probably a lot more carefree then than you are now. It’s almost as if the second we become mothers, our brains flip a switch. Suddenly, when you're tasked with taking care of the needs of another person 24 hours a day, it can make you anxious. Things you never feared before now cause feelings of worry and unease. And when you feel those feelings, you might start to wonder if they are normal and if other moms feel the same way. It’s a vicious cycle that can very quickly take over our thoughts. A mother’s mental health is crucial, so learning to cope with anxiety while parenting is paramount.

By Wix

First and foremost, anxiety is normal. We all feel it from time to time as we navigate motherhood. Whether we worry about family, career, cleaning the house, paying the bills, or a myriad of other stressors, it’s important to remember that all moms feel anxious. Knowing how to deal appropriately with our anxiety can make a big difference in our mental health.

Calm.com offers tips for moms to help us manage our anxiety, which can benefit all of us.

One suggestion from Calm is to identify anxiety when it occurs and to remind ourselves that it’s not reality, but our mind playing tricks on us. When we can do that, we can work to lessen the anxious feelings. Deep breathing, taking a walk, and giving ourselves a “worry window” can all help ease anxiety.

Calm also emphasizes the importance of eliminating our stressors. If social media causes us anxiety or thoughts of self-doubt and constant pressure to keep up with others, it’s best to just unfollow or get offline for a while. It’s also a great idea to talk with other moms who understand what we’re going through, who can assist us with empathy and love. And if things are so overwhelming that you want to talk to a mental health professional, do it.

Darius Bashar

There’s no shame in seeking help and using a doctor’s advice to manage anxiety.

As moms, we’re trying to manage anxiety and to be the best role models as we can be for our children. That can be a challenge, but according to one expert, it’s quite alright to show kids the reality of our experience.

Julie Manuel, clinical program manager at Kettering Health Behavioral Medical Center, wants moms to understand that managing their anxiety in front of their children with emotion is totally normal.

“They don’t have to know all of your running internal dialogue, but it’s OK to take a breath because you’re frustrated,” she says. “You’re modeling to them that emotions are OK. And if you need to seek more help, you’re modeling to them that that’s OK too.”

Proper self-care and mental health awareness will help us to be better moms, Julie explains.

“Just like we want to see people seek help if they have a stomach bug or a chronic condition like heart disease, the same mentality should also be true for seeking mental health care.”