How to calm anxiety while pregnant
By Sophie Harris - Pregnancy & Postpartum Psychotherapist
Pregnancy can be a time filled with excitement, anticipation, and overwhelming joy at the thought of a new life with your baby.
However, for many mothers, it can also cause challenges that make this time more difficult. Due to a combination of hormonal changes, fluctuations in sleep, and overwhelming worry, many expecting mothers experience a spike in anxiety during pregnancy.
Although anxiety can be a stressful mental hurdle, especially during pregnancy, the following practices can help you calm anxiety while pregnant.
Monitor Your Anxiety
Anxiety symptoms like heightened heart rate, excessive worrying, and difficulty concentrating can be extremely overwhelming, especially on top of the stressors of pregnancy.
When you feel you are capable, try to notice if there are any patterns in the anxiety you feel.
Sometimes keeping a record of when you feel anxious and what happened before then can help you identify any possible triggers.
Keep track of your physical symptoms as well.
Notice any coping skills that are particularly helpful, and ones that are not.
Increasing awareness around your anxiety can help you better understand what to stay away from and what can help on particularly high anxiety days.
2. Grounding Techniques
One of the best ways to alleviate anxiety is to attune yourself to the present moment. Whether this is through breathwork, feeling into the sensations of your body, or learning ways to soothe yourself, all of these can be very beneficial tools to bring down a heightened state of arousal.
In addition, affirmation can be helpful as well. For example repeating affirmations like, “I am safe. I am grounded. I am in control.” can help your mind believe these truths and begin to calm down your nervous system. Another great way to let the anxiety move through you is through rhythmic movement. Whether this is dancing, walking, or practicing gentle yoga, rhythmic movement can allow the anxiety to move through you instead of remaining stuck in your body.
3. Be Gentle With Yourself
One of the easiest things to do when we feel anxious is to beat ourselves up for it.
Remind yourself that what you are experiencing is real, valid, and try to give yourself the same compassion that you would give a friend. Becoming more self compassionate can help alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression.
Allow yourself to feel whatever it is that you are feeling, because ignoring and invalidating these feelings will not allow them to pass through and therefore will stunt the healing process.
4. Take Care of Your Body
Although it may seem obvious, when you are feeling anxious it is especially important for you to be as kind to your body as possible.
Even when it feels difficult, ensure that you are fuelling your body with nutritious foods, getting as much rest as possible, and trying to incorporate in regular gentle movement practice.
Whereas you may not be able to engage in intense exercise, walks, yoga, and gentle exercises are still great for the physical and mental benefits.
Doing your best to ensure that your physical body is well taken care of can also result in better mental health. If you have trouble motivating yourself to do these things on your own, let a loved one know that you would like some support in making sure you take care of yourself.
5. Lean on Loved Ones
Building on this idea, now is the best time to lean on your loved ones. Connection is one of the most powerful healers when it comes to struggling with mental health.
Anxiety can feel very lonely, especially when fighting it completely alone. Do the best you can to regularly be around people you love and trust, even when you don’t feel like it.
Sharing your struggles with people can provide comfort, validation, and a listening ear.
If you find yourself without a strong support system, look online for a support group that you can connect with. There are likely many, many other anxious expecting mums out there who could provide you with support and connection.
6. Schedule in Worry Time
A simple yet effective anxiety management tool is to schedule specific blocks of time exclusively for worrying.
When a worry or a recurring thought comes up, you just remind yourself that you can think about this all you want during your scheduled worry time, but right now you need to focus on something else.
Also, when you have these blocks of worry time, take out a journal and begin to write down all of your worries on paper. The act of getting your anxieties out of your head and onto something tangible can help reduce ruminating thoughts.
7. Seek Professional Support
One of the best ways to support yourself is to seek help from a mental health professional.
Although having trusted loved ones to talk to is extremely valuable, having someone to talk to who is professionally trained and an unbiased ear can be very therapeutic. With a medical professional, you can work together to develop skills within and outside of therapy that can help you feel like yourself again.
Please be gentle with yourself as you walk through this stressful experience. You are going through a remarkable time, and it is only natural that you will need some additional support.
Know that you are not alone, and professional help is always there when you need it. Until then, take care, breathe deeply, and refer to this article as often as you’d like to remind yourself of some helpful techniques to help you feel better for the time being.
Hi, i’m Sophie
I am a therapist and mother. I love helping new mums overcome anxiety and low mood to feel confident and content.
If you are looking for postpartum support for you or a loved one, then use the links below to find out more about the services that could help you.