A Happy Mumma means a Happy Baby

Continuing on from Part One of our Reclaiming Your Mojo series, Fiona Cosgrove, Health Coach and Founder of Wellness Coaching Australia, offers some great suggestions around how to reclaim your mojo and increase your energy while looking after a small baby. For suggestions around diet, you can read our first post here. Today’s post focuses on wellbeing and managing the stress and anxiety around having a new baby.

When it comes to boosting energy ’one size does NOT fit all’. Our energy levels depend on so many things and it is a very personal thing say’s Fiona. She doesn’t offer advice or directives on what you ‘should’ be doing, but rather offers some suggestions based on what has worked for others, suggesting that each person try different things to see what works for them.

Movement, not Exercise

Her first suggestion is to rethink exercise, and approach it as ‘movement’. We all know we need to exercise, but often the thought of it is enough to make you want to crawl back to bed. If exercise is re-couched as movement, it doesn’t seem like such a chore.

When thinking about movement, think about what you like doing. If you like doing a particular activity, you’ll be more inclined not to skip out on it. Music is a great motivator, so Fiona suggests if you enjoy dancing – dance around your lounge room, in your back yard, with your baby in your arms or on your hip. It’s a fun and easy way to get some movement in to your day, without having to organise a baby sitter, and it’s free.

Nature

Fiona also suggests getting out in nature. A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health explains that living in an environment without nature (such as plants, trees and open spaces) can have ‘a potentially undesirable impact on health or quality of life.’

Spending time in nature brings perspective to our woes and is a welcome break from our hyper-connectivity. If you can combine movement with nature, all the better. A simple solution is a walk in the park, but there are plenty of post-pregnancy exercise classes that are run in local park and you can take your baby and meet some new people.

Stop

Giving yourself permission to stop is also important. The list of tasks for a new Mum can be overwhelming. It is important to stop and take stock. Check in with how you feel – is it physical exhaustion, or mental exhaustion? It’s important to recognise what’s robbing you of your energy. Holding on to things can be a real energy-zapper. Naming your worries helps; or write it down if you are inclined. Writing things down can help you process and let go of what ever you maybe feeling.

Managing the stress and anxiety of looking after a new baby is an important step in taking control of your wellbeing, and reclaiming your mojo. Having been in control of your own life right up until the moment you have your baby can mean that the change in circumstances can be a real challenge. Fiona’s suggestion would be to adopt a ‘go with the flow’ attitude. Recognising and accepting that things are not as they were, will go a long way to keeping you calm and centred. She also encourages self-compassion and meditation.

Finding Your Flow

Fiona talks about the importance of finding your flow and the impact that it has on overall happiness. She explains that activities that bring about flow are those that strengthen you, challenge you, you are able to lose yourself in them, and provide a sense of accomplishment. It can be exercise, painting, walking, dancing, reading – anything you enjoy, that you easily get lost in. With this in mind, it can be incorporated in to your essential ‘self-care’ – weekly exercise, yoga class, an art class. The important factor is that you choose it.

If you feel guilty for taking time out, remind yourself that a happy Mumma means a happy baby.

X click to search
X