The arrival of a child into the world is a moment full of joy and happiness, tenderness, and numerous and intense emotions. This comes with having more responsibilities, since a child comes into the world helpless and totally dependent twenty-four hours a day.
Being a father or mother means that life changes completely, and along with the countless joys of the arrival of a child, numerous insecurities appear, such as fears about the ability to be good caregivers, comparisons with other parents, etc. All this combined with stressful situations such as not knowing what is happening to them (especially at the earliest stage in which they do not yet know how to speak), schedule changes, lack of sleep…
These situations, together with the insecurities described, can push parents and children to the limit. cause the stress they suffer to seriously affect their emotional stability and their performance in any activity.
The importance of stress management in parenthood and motherhood
Although there are many help books and tutorials on raising babies and how to face this moment, the reality is that when a father or mother has their baby in their arms, everything read can help, but it will not be an instruction manual. with all the answers.
Constant worry for our child, physical and mental fatigue appear, the lack of time as a couple, the decrease in leisure time, etc. There are many changes almost immediately that if we do not learn to face, they can cause us many problems due to stress.
Therefore, it is important to take into account a series of recommendations that can help us go through this moment of happiness and uncertainty at the same time.
1. Express the emotions and thoughts that are generating that stress
Being exposed to comparison and social judgment causes a lot of suffering in parents with doubts and fears, because they do not dare to expose themselves to the world.
Lean on your loved ones, on your partner, on family members who have children, on friends in trusted people with whom you are not afraid of that judgment and can express yourself freely.
2. Try to rest
Especially in the earliest stage of babies, adult sleep will be altered and reduced This causes irritability, due to fatigue and increased activity. It is important to rest the hours you sleep so that sleep is as restful as possible.
3. Take care of your diet
Baby feeding and safety are a priority However, many parents tend to eat anything and usually not in the quantities they need. That is why it is important to pay attention to what you are going to eat; It is not about making very elaborate recipes, but about eating a healthy diet.
4. Incorporate physical activity that you find enjoyable
The release of dopamine during any sporting activity will help balance stress levels
Since you have much less time, you can combine, for example, half an hour of aerobic exercise outside the home and some activity that can be done at home.
5. Time for you
If you feel good, your baby will feel it. Devoting time to yourself is not going to make you a worse father, nor are you going to be selfish
You need to be well to be able to deal with the frustrations that may appear in this time of constant change. It is important to find a moment for yourself, to do something you like, a reward.
6. Don’t compare yourself
Don’t try to be the best, because we are sorry to tell you that there are no instructions for a better father or mother. Focus on your child and not what other parents are doing.
It’s about being the best you can for your baby and accepting that this does not mean being perfect, that it is a learning process that you can also enjoy.
7. Return to a calm state when you get stressed
The practice of Mindfulness or full attention is a great help for “autopilot” and be more aware of everything that parenthood generates in us.
With this practice, in addition to improving your well-being, you will be able to be more attentive, navigate your emotions better, avoiding impulsive and uncontrolled reactions, and you will learn to become flexible and be a parent who values compassion and emotional connection.
8. Psychological support
If you have not previously attended therapy, the arrival of a child into the world is a good time to be able to solve certain needs.
Going to the psychologist helps to see what burdens we have that we do not want to pass on to our children, what there is in us that we want to remain, what we need to repair and what we want to let go. Our son will benefit from the work we do, because we will not be conditioned by our past; It will be a new experience, a relationship that is built from another base.
Mindfulness workshop for parents at Cepsim Madrid
At the Cepsim Psychological Center we held a training workshop on Mindfulness for fathers and mothers that will help you in your fatherhood or motherhood. It will take place on March 2.
Since motherhood and fatherhood come with countless responsibilities, you have to quickly adapt to everyday life. Additionally, as the baby grows, needs change; It is an evolutionary process of change that can exhaust us, and through this course you will learn tools to be able to deal with all that anxiety and enjoy This course from the Cepsim Psychological Center is indicated for people who have recently become parents or are thinking about becoming one.
Through the practice of Mindfulness you will learn to educate responsibly. As we said before, it is not about being the best, but about being aware of how we educate and where we are doing it from, whether from our experience, from the fatigue of the moment, or from being able to reflect and stop. All of this paying attention to what happens to our son, why it happens and how we can help him.
You can learn about our Mindfulness workshops on our website www.psicologiamadrid.es.
Psychological support for pregnant women and new parents
In addition, at the Cepsim Psychological Center we offer psychological support for pregnant women, as well as for new fathers and mothers, to face the stress and problems that this stage of life can bring.
