3 Tips to Deal with Depression as a Mum
Being a mum is one of the best jobs in the world, but there are ups and downs. The easy part is carrying the baby in the womb and giving birth. The hard part is taking care of a human being whose survival is solely dependent on you until they are of legal age. That journey and other issues might take a toll on you, leading to severe stress and depression. You are not alone! That is why you shouldn’t let a depressive state escalate and affect you and your loved ones. Here are some of the ways you can deal with depression as a mum.
Exercise & Yoga
This might seem like a bit of a cliché, but that early morning jog is good for your body and mind. According to one study published in PubMed Central, yoga can also help deal with depression. It’s a form of exercise with a similar positive effect as meditation. Yoga therapy combines physical movement to help keep fit and clear your mind. Research has shown that it can boost your mental energy while decreasing negative energy, including anxiety, depression, and aggressiveness.
Behavioral Therapy
One of the best ways to help deal with depression is to seek Holistic mental health support in San Francisco (or wherever is local to you). The idea is to inculcate desirable behaviors and weeding off the issues. One of the most popular approaches is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Cognitive comes from the word cognition which means how we think. CBT thus focuses on three things, how we think, act and feel.
A cognitive-behavioral therapist helps one identify all the negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that have led to depression. The therapist then helps you rectify or fix all those negatives. According to cbt therapists nyc, this approach has a long-term positive effect in treating depression compared to taking medication. Research has also shown that cases of relapse in patients who have sought CBT are very low as compared to those who did not. There are several techniques that can be used in CBT, e.g., Journaling, unraveling cognitive distortions, etc.
There is another form of CBT known as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). This helps patients accept their discomfort and painful emotions, overcome them, and choose healthy coping mechanisms instead of harmful, impulsive actions. DBT is primarily used in extreme cases where the depressed patient engages in self-destructive behaviors or has suicidal thoughts.
Get closer to loved ones
Talking to the most important people in your life can also help out a lot. This may include mainly family, friends, and other loved ones. Receiving understanding, intimacy, amity and their regular presence in your daily life can help you out of the depressive state.
Wrapping up
Depression is not something to be ashamed of. It is a disease, and just like any other disease, it is best to seek treatment for it. In a depressed state, mums miss out on some of the best moments in their child’s life because of not being fully present. The good thing is that this can be treated with the proper help and support.
