Infertility is a rollercoaster at the best of times. Add in lockdowns, job insecurity, and cancelled or postponed cycles and the chaos can throw your emotions and mental health for a loop! Here are a few ways to hold onto hope and find calmness in the chaos:
Practice Grounding. When you feel your mind start to spiral and your anxiety rise, practice grounding techniques to bring you back into your body. A simple one is the 5,4,3,2,1 senses activity. Name 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you feel, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste.
Create a comfort kit. Include a playlist of your favorite songs (you can check out our Spotify list for inspiration), a soft blanket or cozy scarf, your favorite candle or essential oil, and a simple activity like adult coloring books or crochet. Something that can help ease tension.
Use online resources. Infertility is already isolating...when you add social isolation it feels doubly isolating! UIRC has moved all of its support groups online as well as adding a weekly online support group that specifically helps anyone with a cancelled or postponed treatment cycle. Our therapists are also continuing to see clients online and educational consults have moved online as well. This is not a journey you have to make alone! Print or write down positive quotes or affirmations to read when you are feeling discouraged. Here are a few you can use:
“I am strong mentally and physically. I have all that is necessary within me to make it through this process.”
“I am surrounded by healing and love”
“I can control what I can and let go of what I can’t”
“Courage doesn’t always roar, sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day saying ‘I’ll try again tomorrow’”
Preparing mentally for the hardest days can help us weather the storms of infertility and make it through these new challenges.
コメント