Before you had kids, You probably got mad once in a while. You probably had days where you felt down. Having kids won’t change that. (It might even make it worse.) There will be days when you are at your wits end. It is so important that you learn how to deal with anger and sadness/ depression in healthy ways. It might be the frustration of dealing with a two year old, or the emotional roller coaster of a being post-pardem, (or both) but you need to know how to channel these feelings.
Here are some hinters for dealing with both sets of emotions:
ANGER:
Don’t:
Scream at self/children
Hurt self or children
Throw/ smash things
Instead:
~Put your kids in their beds and walk to a part of the house where you can’t hear them. Stay there for about five minutes, breathing deeply.~
~Do a quick cleaning of your house, scrub the tub, use your angry force to create positive energy.~
~Put the kids in the stroller and go for a power walk.~
~Have a friend watch the kids and go to the gym.~
~Think of three or four words that describe how you feel or why you are angry. Think of the opposite of each word and concentrate on the list of opposites. Ask yourself how you can get from where you are, to where you want to be.~
~Tell your kids that Mama needs to be in time out, and put yourself in time out. When you come out of time out, apologize for anything unfair or irrational that you said or did, before you put yourself in time out.~
DEPRESSION/SADNESS
Don’t:
Isolate yourself
Meditate on your depression
Instead:
~Take a few deep breathes while thinking about something you love, for instance: going to the beach in the summer.~
~Tell someone who will listen and take you seriously. They don’t need to have all the answers, But you need to feel like someone who loves you understands.~
~Eat some protein. Really. Especially postpartum sadness or being overly emotional can stem from not taking care of yourself. So make sure you are eating enough, getting some sleep, drinking plenty of fluids, and getting a shower 3-4 times a week.~
~Write in a journal. Make a check list of Positive changes that your child has brought into your life, and some of your favorite qualities, nicknames or new achievements of your baby or kids.~
~Think of some of the words that describe the kind of mom you want to be, and whisper them to your baby. “Baby, Mama is learning to be Fun and spontaneous. Don’t you think mama is so smart? I am getting better at taking good care of you all the time.”~
~Eat some chocolate. Really slowly. Or whatever it is that reminds you that you can take a break from life, and that you don’t have to be perfect to be happy.~
Health tips for smiling lips:
Be sure to eat enough protein.
Drink lots of water.
Exercise at least 30 minutes 4-5 times a week. This keeps your hormone levels stable, and gets rid of some toxins. Exercising is said to stabilize your mood for up to 12 hours after a workout.
Don’t over do it on things that will let you crash after a while. Examples are Sugar and Caffeine. Moderation is the key here.
Get dressed in the morning, make your bed, put some make up on. These things help you feel like you got something done, even if nothing else gets done. Looking like you are ready to go conquer the day can trick you into feeling like you can!
Vitamin B-complex can keep sadness from becoming depression.
Ok, What do you think? What are some solutions you have found to be oh-so helpful?