“How I manage crippling anxiety” by health advocate and mum, Tammy Hewitt
"Feeling anxious is part of the human experience"
Anxiety is a real issue for many new mums, worse for some than others. I experienced it in spades on my return to work, and was diagnosed with postnatal depression and anxiety (PNDA), which only got worse when I developed shingles.
I was separated from my 10-month-old daughter for two weeks, and the anxiety spiralled. It was not a great place to be in.
Even when I got through it, I was left with lingering symptoms of anxiety.
I’m a work in progress, and these are some of the things that I recommend to help you with anxiety, and that I practise regularly.
Tammy is a life coach and empowers other mums to break free from the clutches of stress and mental ill-health.
Meditation – For someone who can’t actually sit still, this was a bit of a challenge. I now do it daily, helped by a weighted blanket and eye mask. These calm me enough to follow a guided meditation – and 10 minutes can make all the difference. I feel amazing!
Contemplations – The power of asking questions, confronting them in the mind, and considering the issues has been a game changer. Making it part of my daily routine offers me time to be alone, to contemplate and/or journal. I love it!
Tammy says anxiety is a real issue for many new mums.
Breath work – While breathing is one of the simplest things, conscious breathing is different. Playing with breathing techniques has afforded me to identify how to calm my nervous system and boost my energy levels. I use one recommended by the HeartMath Institute called heart-focused breathing. Scientific studies have shown the technique to reduce stress and anxiety, plus more.
Listen or tune into your gut and/or intuition – This takes practice, especially if you are like me and spent a lifetime dismissing when something didn’t feel right. I’ve learned over time that our bodies are INCREDIBLY intuitive, and provide clues as to how we are out of alignment. Listen to the niggle!
Emotional Freedom Technique (or EFT Tapping) – One of the only things that could settle my nerves enough to sleep. I learned this when I became a mum, and I’m still amazed at the power of our fingers tapping certain meridian points on our body while acknowledging how we feel in the moment. It consists of several rounds of tapping, to release trapped and toxic emotions, followed by uplifting or positive affirmations to lock in the goodness. As a trained scientist, recommended alternative modalities sent me hunting research, while tracking the results while experimenting. Scientific studies support EFT Tapping, and it turns out that it was used by soldiers returning from war to manage PTSD.
Avoid personalising the anxiety – It’s not ‘my anxiety’, it’s simply feeling anxious. It retrains your brain, and can take you from the passenger seat to behind the wheel, where you have more control.
“Playing with breathing techniques has afforded me to identify how to calm my nervous system and boost my energy levels.”
Do I still have moments of high anxiety and panic? Absolutely. But I know it will pass, and that my body is speaking to me. I know I have to continue to unpack the emotions – some of which I’m yet to discover. I’m also replacing the fear with curiosity consistently, and educating myself ongoing.
It’s now the core reason why I do what I do with my business – to create a community, so nobody feels alone, and to break the stigma associated with anxiety and depression.
Don’t forget that you are human, not a machine. Feeling anxious is part of the human experience and is more common than you may realise.
While we can’t control what curveballs life throws at us, we do have the power of response. Being conscious, and adjusting our reaction or thought process, can offer control, so the curveball no longer has all the control.
Tammy Hewitt is a Life Coach and Mental Health Advocate. Visit Tammy at mummalifeisnow.com
