Do you feel like an anxious mommy? Motherhood does something to us. It’s like living with your heart outside of your body. Being responsible for little children can make you feel anxious as a mother. If you’re feeling like you have an anxious mom heart, here are simple ideas to help your heart become more peaceful while raising your kids.
What Does Being An Anxious Mom do to Our Parenting?
When we’re anxious as parents, it can be hard to enjoy the little moments with our children. Instead of focusing on the here and now, we are constantly worried about what could happen or what will happen in the future. But you don’t have to like being anxious steal your joy as a mom.
It Steals Our Joy
Having an anxious mommy heart steals our joy right out from under us. It can become difficult to see the little moments with our children and really enjoy them. It can also be difficult to stay present while raising our children. Because we are constantly thinking about what could happen or what might happen.
Keeps Us in A Rut
Being an anxious mom can also keep us in a rut. Have you ever felt like you were in a mommy rut? It can be hard to get out of once we are in.
Steals Our Time From Our Family and Kids
It also steals our time from our family and our children. When we are not present with our children, that is time that has been lost.
I have spent too much time feeling anxious as a mom. I have spent too much time being anxious as a mom. Worrying about what can happen, what the future holds, and my children’s health.
Disclosure: I do want to add a disclosure that I am not a doctor. And I do know that anxiety is a very real mental illness. If you have anxiety, it is important to get the help that you need. These are simply just tips from one mom to another on how to ease your anxious mommy heart.
Give it to God/Prayer
The first thing that you can do to help calm your anxious mommy heart is to give it to God and pray. God did not give us a spirit of fear or anxiety. He tells us that he gives us a spirit of peacefulness. Peace that surpasses all understanding can only come from God. If you’re struggling with an anxious mommy heart, then it is important to first go to God because he cares.
Spend Time Alone
I find myself feeling anxious the most when I have no alone time and I neglect self-care. Try setting time apart for just you could be in the morning or in the evening. This way you get alone time, and you don’t feel pulled in many different directions. It’s important to take care of yourself before you can fill other people’s cups.
Put it all Into Perspective
It’s easy to feel anxious when our thoughts run away with us. Sometimes the things we’re anxious about just need perspective. Sometimes, my thoughts run away, and I start to feel anxious. I take those thoughts captive, I give them to God, and I try to put everything in perspective. I start counting my blessings and telling God what I am thankful for. This helps tremendously to calm my heart when I’m feeling anxious
Take it One Day at a Time
If you’re going through a rough patch, the most important thing you can do is take it one day at a time. Don’t worry about what tomorrow may bring; focus on today with your children and what you can do today to create a peaceful place for yourself and your family.
Write it All Down
Do you journal? Sometimes it helps to write everything down that we are feeling. First of all helps us put everything in perspective, like I was talking about earlier. And then it’s a form of telling somebody, and when you say things out loud or put them in writing, I can help you feel calmer.
Talk it Out
If you are not a big journaler, you can talk it out with somebody. If you have a friend who is close, who understands, or a family member, or even a therapist. All these people can help you talk out what is bothering you so you can get a handle on your anxious mommy hearts.
Focus Only on What You Can Control
I find myself telling my children all the time that they can only control themselves. They can’t control other people. The same is true for you. You cannot control your children, you cannot control your husband, or anybody else. The only thing you can do is focus on yourself and can control yourself. You are responsible for your own actions to things and responses to situations. One of my favorite quotes is: “In the end, only you can give your children a happy mom who loves life.” Isn’t that the truth? Only we can control ourselves.
Lastly, Don’t be Afraid to Seek Medical Help
The very last thing is to not be afraid or ashamed and to seek medical help when you need it. Sometimes some things are beyond our control. I believe that doctors were created by God and given talent by God to help us. So if you feel like you need to speak to a doctor or therapist, by all means, get that help so you can be there for your family.
Calming your anxious mommy heart is possible.
