A mother doing yoga at home. Home yoga. Online yoga.

How to Reduce Stress: 6 Tips for New Mums

motherhood new mother stress management wellbeing Sep 10, 2018

Hey beautiful mama! Are you stressed out and overwhelmed with this new journey called motherhood and looking for ways to reduce stress? The first year of being a mum was extremely challenging for me, especially the first 6 months when I was severely sleep deprived. Things got a little easier as my daughter became older (because she can now communicate verbally and thank goodness I got my sleep back too!) but I reckon every phase of motherhood has its own challenge...Here, I'm gonna share with you 6 simple ways to reduce stress if you are a new mum. (Perfect for 2nd or 3rd time mums too!)

1. Ask for help

This is something I felt uncomfortable doing at first but I had to start doing! It’s time to stop trying to do everything by yourself and start reaching out to others for much needed help. I found having open honest discussions with my hubby and talking about how he can help and support me has been an essential ingredient for reducing my stress. Perhaps you are so sleep deprived you can’t even think straight. (Oh I can never forget how I felt like a walking zombie for the first 6 months!) You need to ask for what you need (more sleep, time away from your baby etc) otherwise you will not receive what you really need. Maybe you have your family members near you, or close friends. Our families are all overseas so asking for help has always been quite challenging for me but I realised I was not going to get a break if I didn't. And everyone needs a break. It takes a village to raise a child! So start asking for more help TODAY!

2. Delegate tasks to others

The amount of housework we need to get done as a mum is sometimes overwhelming. A big pile of dishes and laundry… The table and floors covered with food… I don’t know how many times a day I need to vacuum the house! Perhaps it’s time to hire a cleaner and give yourself a little break. Or it’s time to start getting fresh organic fruits & veggies delivered home. Or maybe look for a housekeeper or nanny. Think of tasks that can be done by others and see if you can find a local business that offers you a solution. It's time to start using our time wisely and save our time & energy for something that really matters.

3. Schedule in some self-care time

Ok, ladies. This is one of my non-negotiables. I don’t thrive without this time. Yoga and meditation time I will describe below definitely come under self-care. Anything that allows you to take your attention away from your baby, and just to focus on your health and wellbeing. It doesn’t need to be something expensive or luxurious. It could be a nature walk, barefoot walking on the beach, reading a book in hammock or the bath time soaking in Epsom salts and essential oils. Uninterrupted time in solitude recharge my batteries. Schedule in some quiet time everyday no matter how short it may be and make sure to schedule in longer sessions on weekends when you're likely to receive help from others.

4. Find your mum tribe and hang out with them often

It makes a difference to be a part of community of other like-minded mums to get you out of the feeling of isolation. Join local mother's groups or playgroups to see if you find someone who you'd click with. Following your passion is always the best way to meet other like-minded people. Ask yourself what kind of activity you have always enjoyed or would like to give it a go. And see if you can find a local business who offers group classes in a child-friendly environment. Or maybe you can look for local meet up groups that are kids-friendly. It's time to get social, beautiful mama!

P.S. Did you know we have a FREE Facebook group called Mindful Mum CommUNITY? Well, now you do and you're invited to join us! Hit the link below to find out more.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindfulmumcommunity

5. Meditate everyday

Meditation practice gives me more clarity, concentration and creativity. I feel stress, tightness, frustration and anger leaving my body. I feel less reactive to my daughter’s behaviour and feel like I can be a better mum afterwards. I feel the benefits of having this practice in my daily life and that’s why I would love you to make this part of your ritual too. Yes we are short on time as a mum but we always make time for things that matter. You can start with 3 or 5 minutes and gradually extend your practice to 10 minutes or longer. You are more likely to feel the benefits by starting with 3 minutes everyday rather than 20 minutes once a week. Consistency is the key for transformation.

I have a little gift for you if you wanna check out a FREE guided meditation I made for mums nursing a newborn. It's called Meditation for Breastfeeding Mums and it's perfect for bottle-feeding mums too. Click HERE to get free access today!

6. Make yoga a part of daily ritual

I am so grateful for having the knowledge to nurture and nourish my own body, heart and mind. Without yoga, I have no idea how I'd have coped being a mum! I feel calmer, more balanced, accepting and loving after each time I spend time on my mat. It would be amazing to have an hour everyday to do yoga but lets be honest. That might not be realistic especially when you have a newborn. 5-10 minutes is a great place to begin. Little bit of yoga is better than nothing! Take a moment to check in with yourself and ask how you want to feel. Have you noticed how different poses make us feel? If you are always on the go, running from one appointment to another, perhaps balancing poses like a tree will help you feel a bit more grounded. Maybe you’ve been breastfeeding all day, carrying your little one on your chest using a carrier and driving around (i.e. lots of forward bending). Your body is likely to thank you for doing a backbend. If you are not sure what pose to do, you can’t go wrong with savasana. (Final relaxation pose known as a corpse pose)

That's it! I hope this will help you take specific action so that you can reduce stress and bring more calm & peace to your day instead.

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How to Reduce Stress: 6 Tips for New Mums

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