Relax with yoga and a dog.
Here are some ways to stay sane while wrestling with infertility. We can all agree that dealing with infertility is stressful. With the ups and downs of hope and disappointment and the added costs, can come awkward questions and dreaded well-meaning advice from friends and family. Shield yourself with these tips:
Exercise
Exercise releases endorphins that help alleviate stress. It is always a good idea to add a light exercising routine like a 30-minute walk in nature to your day. Yoga is an excellent choice as it strengths your muscles and allows you to focus on breathing and relaxing. Try adding five Sun Salutation rotations to both your morning and evening ritual and end by blessing your organs, your pets, your community, etc. If you challenge yourself to do it for 10 days, it could become a lifelong practice.
Share the burden
If you are part of a couple, think of infertility as a joint problem. Adding these techniques together can help you form a tighter bond. And know that the problem you’re wrestling with is temporary. Most likely you’ll succeed and have a child, or you’ll move on to other things. In the grander scheme of your life, your battle with infertility will be short lived, so soldier on but soldier together.
Keep a Gratitude Journal
Write an entry every day. A gratitude journal is perhaps the most effective way of keeping your thoughts straight and your head in the game for where you want to go and what you want to achieve in life. Listing positive things you’re thankful for can change your whole outlook and make you more relaxed and willing to help others. Understanding all the blessings you have already changes your whole world and, some believe, can attract more good things to you.
Find a support group
Like-minded women going through infertility treatments are your tribe. Find them in person or online. They can share information and most importantly understand what you’re going through in a way your regular friends and family cannot. You will need them – and giving them your support will help you cope with your own drama.
Improve an eating habit
Why not take the opportunity to improve one small eating habit like adding a daily vitamin or increasing your fiber intake? Think of this time as a carrot and cart opportunity where you can get yourself to accomplish a few healthy new habits that can last a lifetime.
Grieve
If you experience a loss like an early miscarriage or even just the disappointment of a treatment not resulting in a pregnancy, allow yourself time to be sad. That’s healthy. Too often we’re expected to ignore the pain and just put on a happy face. Give yourself a scheduled amount of downtime to be upset. You have every right to feel that way. But have a plan in place to keep moving forward towards your goal. Knowing what steps come next is a good way to keep your perspective in check. Reevaluate your plan after each treatment to make sure you’re are still on the right path for you.
Seek the help of a professional counselor
If your thoughts become too dark or anxiety is keeping you up at night or making you fight too much with your loved ones, get help. Infertility is one of the most stressful things a person can go through so there’s no reason to question your need. Just swing into action like the mamma bear you know you’ll be and get yourself someone to talk to. https://resolve.org/support/
Practice Self Love
Above all, be kind to yourself and cheer yourself and your partner on. If you take the first step and go to a fertility clinic, that’s a big bold move. If your man gets a semen analysis – celebrate. If you march all the way to IVF and have to give yourself a shot with a needle in your tummy, get happy with your big bad self. You are a warrior fighting for your family. The battles we win and lose make us who we are. In the end, babies born to those who struggled to conceive are often the most cherished.
