5 Mood-Boosting Activities During Your Pregnancy
Pregnancy can be the happiest time of your life – or you think it should be based on what you read in the media and the excitement of your parents and friends. But, dealing with an out-of-control body, the uncertainty of what baby will bring and your rollercoastering emotions often makes you feel apprehensive and unenthused.
Be patient with yourself. You’re growing a new human. That’s hard work and scary. You might just need a pick-me-up occasionally. “A positive outlook on life is important to the health of your fetus,” says Melissa Bannerot, a licensed social worker who runs a private counseling practice in Colorado Springs, CO.
You take care of yourself physically during pregnancy, use these strategies to take care of your emotional needs too.
1. Yoga
Whether you’re a practiced yogini or a newbie on the mat, yoga can help soothe a tired body and frenzied mind. Seek out a local prenatal class to learn breathing techniques and stretches that feel best for your expanding hips and looser joints. You’ll also find a group of peers going through many of the same things you are – this helps you not feel so alone during this uncertain time.
Yoga also helps you notice, without judgment, how you’re feeling physically and emotionally. “Creating that noticing mind is a great prep for labor,” explains Bannerot, “so you can move with the pain, rather than fight it.”
2. Take a Walk in Nature
You might feel like drowning your sorrows in a pint of ice cream in front of reality shows, but getting some sunlight and fresh air really helps perk you up more. Walking in nature is particularly valuable as it reduces mental chatter, showed a study published at the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2015. Mental chatter is the stuff that brings you down. When you dwell on the things bothering you – your expanding body, new aches and pains and mood swings – they magnify. Movement also helps stimulate feel good chemicals to improve your mood. You’ll also feel better physically – discouraging swelling in your ankles and moderating weight gain.
3. Gratitude Journal
When you feel down, it helps to count your blessings. Bannerot says that when you feel out of control, a daily ritual – such as journaling – helps. “We as humans seek some sort of consistency from day to day.” Instead of just writing down why you’re feeling down – which could actually help you process your emotions – consider documenting at least one thing for which you’re grateful every day. It may be the sunrise, a stranger’s smile or the feeling of your baby’s kick. When you focus on these little bright spots in your day, it helps diminish the dark.
4. Value Your Partner
Although you’ve got friends and family to support you, sometimes you feel very alone. It’s easy to imagine that your partner is distancing himself from you and this can make you feel depressed and isolated. Instead of dwelling on your partner’s perceived shortcomings, think five to 10 positive thoughts about your partner daily, recommends Bannerot. When you do this, you might be less quick to feel distanced from him when he doesn’t do the chores you asked from him or takes one night to play poker with his buddies.
5. Indulge YOU
You may not be feeling good about a body that’s growing out of control, takes constant trips to the bathroom and is being adorned with stretch marks – you can’t control those things. Instead, focus on those things you can control. A spa day isn’t indulgent, think of it as therapy. Get your hair done; have a massage; go for the deluxe mani-pedi. Having someone spend time only on you boosts your self-confidence and mood.
Andrea Cespedes is a freelance writer located in Colorado Springs, CO. She has two children, ages 13 and 10, who were breastfed for the first 2 years of their lives. She’s also a fitness trainer, running and cycling coach and 200-hour RYT Yoga Instructor. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
