Actionable Solution
How to Navigate The Identity Shifts of Motherhood
- STEP ONE: Make space and acknowledge that mourning might be happening for you. Bring the shadow Into the light.
- STEP TWO: Nurture a kind inner voice. When we feel the experience of fear or mourning, we hold space for that with kindness.
- STEP THREE: Connect with other people going through similar experiences who have the capacity and ability to hold multiple truths at the same time. “You are super happy about having a baby AND you’re mourning the loss of your former self.”
How to Remove The Pressure at the Dinner Table
- STEP ONE: Have realistic expectations. Feeding kids is hard and it’s never going to be perfect.
- STEP TWO: Keep things simple. When making family meals, include things in each meal they like.
- STEP THREE: Reflect on your childhood mealtime. How we interact with our children at meals is typically a direct reflection of our upbringing. Reflect on how the meal environment was like when you were a kid. Do you want that environment to continue or what aspects of it do you want to change?
How to Heal From Painful Memories
- STEP ONE: Ask yourself these questions following a difficult situation. What was I thinking in that moment? What was I feeling? How was I behaving? Do I have any memories coming up? Are they visceral? What did this moment bring up for me?
- STEP TWO: Ask yourself the same questions about the other person in the story. What was my child thinking? What was my child feeling? What was my child experiencing?
- STEP THREE: Journal and share with a safe person.