Jade.postpartum

  I’ve really been struggling with my mental health these past few weeks. Living with anxiety and depression is exhausting. I don’t even have to be *doing* a lot, just *being* takes up so much of my energy. My when my mental health is bad I get triggered a LOT, and it doesn’t take much to tip me over the edge. It’s an obvious sign to me that when I’m getting triggered more than usual it probably means I need more help. Tomorrow I have an appointment with a new psychologist. I’m hoping that talking to someone different, with a fresh perspective and new ideas is just what I need. The psychologist I have been seeing previously has been very helpful to me. However, it feels like I got to a certain point and then I stopped progressing. I knew it was time to move on.  I know it can take a little while to find the right fit when it comes to therapy. Fingers crossed this one is a good match, because mental illness only gets worse when you don’t have the right support. In the meantime,...

Intuition, conscience, guidance, gut-feeling... Which ever way you choose to describe this phenomenon, it is essentially the same thing. I have had many experiences in my life where I have been guided by this feeling; Moments where my mind and heart have felt inspired by something greater than myself. I believe that this guidance is from God. That those feelings come from the Holy Spirit. The idea that I am watched over by a loving Heavenly Father who has a plan for me just feels right. These are my beliefs, but I am absolutely open to and accepting of other people’s beliefs. I would never say to someone that I was right and they were wrong. I love to hear what others believe in and what the meaning of life is to them.  Rather than focus on differences, I like to find the commonalities within our beliefs. I have a good friend who, like me, enjoys talking about these kinds of things. We have very different beliefs, but there are so many things that we agree on. There are a lot of ne...

The other day I had the rare opportunity to just sit still in the quiet without any distractions.   It didn’t take long for me to feel a wave of emotion and I started to cry. I realised through this experience that too often I turn to things to distract me from my feelings. The most common distraction being my phone. It is so easy to just pick up the phone and start scrolling. Thus pushing those uncomfortable feelings down where I don’t have to deal with them. It’s not healthy.  Feelings need to be felt.  If we suppress them, they will make their way out eventually in a more dramatic way.  To be able to sit with the uncomfortable feelings, feel them and express them is so important.  Feelings are not bad.  This is something that might be hard for us to accept, especially if we were brought up being punished for expressing “negative” emotions. Think about it...  How common is it for children to be scolded or sent to time out for “naughty” behaviour like...

“If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to take time for your illness”.  I don’t know who said this quote, but I think it’s pretty spot on.  It is quite obvious when it comes to physical health, but I think it is equally true for mental health. I can only speak from my own experience, but I really notice the difference when I am actively doing things to take care of my mental health, and when I am not. As I mentioned in my last post, I am an HSP or highly sensitive person. As an HSP, I get easily overstimulated and overwhelmed.  It is so important for me to have time by myself- to calm my nervous system, rest and recharge. If I do not get this downtime (and it’s hard to come by as a mother!) there is a real decline in my mental health and my ability to “carry on”.  When I do get this time to myself, I feel so much better. My cup is refilled and I have the physical and mental energy I need to face the day. The struggles I have faced postpartum ha...