*I am not a medical professional, these are just the things I do!
Across January I have been struggling quite alot with my mental health. A mixture of stress, burn out, lack of sleep and my brain’s chemicals have created a rough month so far! Having my little one (Who is almost 1!! What?!) means that I can’t take the time out I would usually take, so I have had to find other ways to help me through this cloud.
Walking
This is the thing I need to do most. Before December I was going for a walk with bubba every morning – it was great as it multi-tasked in getting the little one to nap.
Fresh air really clears my head, and I take advantage of not having to entertain bubba for 40 mins and listen to an audiobook whilst walking. Regular walking is great for fighting high blood pressure, slimming your waist and sunlight causes your body to produce Vitamin D, which has a whole host of positives (here)!
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Evening Primrose Oil
I had this recommended to me by my mum, after asking around I found it has been used to help with fatigue, alongside many hormonal disorders (such as eczema). I picked up a big pot and have introduced it into my daily tablets (breastfeeding supplements). Whether or not it is a placebo effect, I have found I have more energy since I started taking these.
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Dr Bach’s Emergency Spray
This was suggested to my partner at a local health emporium when I was getting nervous leading up to our holiday in December. Its all natural ingredients are extracted from various flowers, and is so safe it can be used on babies, children and pets.
I used this for flight anxiety and have started using it as needed this month.
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Water
I try to keep up my water intake, but have found it a struggle recently. When I haven’t had enough water I get headaches very quickly, and get quickly dehydrated due to breastfeeding. I’ve started having a pint of water with every meal and to remind myself to keep my water bottle full.
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Food Choices
I’m eating terribly, still bingeing on chocolate from Christmas. I have also realised that my fruit and salad intake is lower than it used to be, which I can certainly feel in my headaches and energy levels.
I need to make an effort to start making better choices going forward.
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Reminders
I recently heard the advice to remind yourself that everything is temporary, every feeling, worry, situation is temporary and will pass. I have started trying to remind myself of this when I’m feeling particularly overwhelmed, only time will tell if this is something that can help me long term.
These are steps I’m currently taking to try and help tackle my low mental health. What tips do you have?
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