Allison Doyle 4/17/24 Allison Doyle 4/17/24

Mental Health Spring Cleaning

It’s April and that means spring is here! For many, spring is a time of rebirth and renewal, decluttering our lives and setting us up for success for the summer and the rest of the year. I know for my household, I take the time to deep clean certain areas, go through my closet to see what items “spark joy” as Marie Kondo calls it, and organize the camping and outdoor gear for the summer. In West Seattle, they even have a springtime “West Seattle Garage Sale” where there's a whole day dedicated to people clearing out what they don’t need and helping others to buy used (May 11th, 2024, find more info here: https://westseattleblog.com/category/community-garage-sale-day/). People put so much time and effort into spring cleaning but we don’t always pay the same amount of attention in the same way to our mental health.

Enter the concept of “mental health spring cleaning”: a time dedicated annually to contemplate and assess what is useful to your mental health, no longer useful, or what’s missing from it entirely. We are creatures of habit and for many of us humans, we live by our routines without always checking in to see how or if they still work for us. Maybe we go get our favorite latte every morning on the way to work, but what if your anxiety symptoms have spiked and caffeine just makes it worse? Or scrolling through Instagram during the postpartum period to see fitness and exercise influencers tell you how to “get your body back after baby” but it makes you feel worse about the body that just carried a child for 9 whole months? Reassessing our routines, social media feeds, and just life in general can help us continue on a good path toward mental wellness.

So what does “mental health spring cleaning” look like? Here are some ideas to get you started:

Morning and evening routines - If you feel stressed every time you get out the door in the morning or if bathtime creates chaos in the evening, what are ways we can do less, prep more, or shift responsibility to other family members? This can help improve your relationship with yourself (anyone else beat themselves up when they are running late?!), with your children, partner(s), and other caregivers as well as decrease your stress and mental load during the busiest times of the day.
Movement and exercise - Do you have a nagging injury? Are you feeling out of touch with your body? Assessing how to heal and get in touch with your body may require different kinds of movement than you’re used to. As you may know, movement and regular exercise contribute greatly to our mental well-being. Maybe running hurts as you age and doing low-impact activities like yoga or swimming are a better fit for now. Making sure we are checking in with our bodies is not just a mindful activity, it helps us treat our bodies with more kindness and compassion.
Nutrition - Our diets can impact how we function day to day but also long term. Maybe you’re restricting too much or have food anxiety (looking at you millennials with “almond moms”!). Or maybe you find yourself binging on a box of cookies rather than talking about your feelings. Ask yourself about your relationship to food and get curious about how your mental health dictates your nutrition and visa versa. This could mean buying that ice cream cone when you ACTUALLY want it, or after a stressful day at work trying to journal before we grab the bag of chips.
Social - How are you feeling in your relationships? Are boundaries needed in your relationships with “energy vampires”? Do you need to reprioritize other relationships in your life? How do you feel when you're with your friends, family, partner(s), etc? This can be tough. It requires us to have uncomfortable conversations, set limits, or say “no” more often. Boundaries like these are meant to HELP your relationships, not ruin them. Practicing what you want to say in these conversations before you have them can help tremendously. Relationships ebb and flow, and change over time. It’s a natural part of life and something we do not always check in with ourselves about.
Consumption - If you find yourself waking up in the night after that Trenta iced coffee or following happy hour in the evening, maybe it’s time to change how much or how often we consume these types of things. This does not mean you cannot have these things, but maybe more moderation is needed or limits need to be set such as: not drinking caffeinated beverages after 12pm or only having 1 drink during happy hour. It can be hard to cut back on your favorite things, but it can sometimes help our mental health, relationships, and understanding of ourselves significantly.
Social media - How do the Instagram/Facebook/TikTok feeds you consume make you feel? Do we feel worse about ourselves and our lives after watching certain videos? Addressing our social media consumption can be a difficult habit to tackle but also extremely rewarding. This could mean unfollowing influencers that no longer serve your mental health, “muting” family members that post agitating pictures or information (this is an election year!), or simply taking the app off your phone or limiting the time you are on it. See how you feel after adjusting what you need to see on social media and pay attention to how much more time you get back in your day!

This is not a comprehensive mental health spring cleaning list, but it does cover many of the areas of our lives that can contribute to our mental health and well-being. I hope that by sharing this list and the idea of mental health spring cleaning, you can assess your life with kindness and curiosity and make changes that positively impact your mental health, daily life, and overall well-being.

Allison Doyle 5/28/19 Allison Doyle 5/28/19

Mental Health Prep for Postpartum

While many expecting parents prepare their first baby with prenatal vitamins, regular exercise, dietary adjustments, and safety improvements to their home, many parents forgo addressing and prepping their mental health for this huge life change. Most people are shocked to learn that the most COMMON complication of childbirth is postpartum depression. But it’s not that surprising when we look at mental health in the United States and the difficulties facing parents in modern America such as childcare access, limited parental leave, and costs just to have and raise a child. 1 in 7 mothers or birthers experience postpartum depression (although the number is closer to 1 in 5 post-COVID research indicates). 1 in 10 fathers or non-birthing partners also experience some significant mental health concerns in the postpartum period. The shift of becoming a parent is likely the biggest change you’ll have in your lifetime and can bring up a host of mental health struggles for many.

Protecting and safeguarding your mental health and well-being is of utmost importance. Not only do significant mental health challenges affect the person experiencing them both emotionally and sometimes physically, but they also wreak havoc on our relationships and impact outcomes for the children of parents who are struggling. There are 3 main areas to consider as top priorities during the perinatal and postpartum period that can help improve and protect your mental health. Even if you have never had a significant mental health concern, I encourage you to keep reading to understand how you can keep it that way and allow you to experience new parenthood fully.

Sleep - If you’re a client of mine, you have heard me say these 2 things about sleep, postpartum, and mental health. 1. Sleep is probably the most important piece of our mental health. 2. Sleep deprivation is a form of torture! Prioritizing sleep as a new parent will help you through this transition and protect your mental health. While it may not always be *perfect* sleep, some sleep is better than none. Make sure you as a parent are trying to get as much sleep as possible. Figure out a sleep schedule that works for you, your partner, or anyone else who may be caring for your newborn. Maybe that means taking “shifts” with your partner at night, sleeping while the baby sleeps during the day, or getting outside help from family, friends, or professionals to allow you to sleep. There is no right or wrong way to do this, the only goal is that you find what works best for YOU to get the most sleep you can during this sleepless period. You may be thinking “But I do the dishes, clean the house, and do the laundry when the baby sleeps! When will I get this done?!”. Revisiting expectations and asking for help when it’s needed is a helpful way to reprioritize sleep and your well-being. Whatever you need to prioritize sleep, DO IT.

Community - Creating and maintaining a solid community during the perinatal period and postpartum is invaluable as a new parent. This transition is extremely difficult and having people that you can count on may be the biggest stress reliever you can have. Whether it’s asking your current friends and family members to set up times to come over, help around the house, or go out and about to get you out of the house, make sure you have some folks you can count on to be there for you. This requires vulnerability and vulnerability is freaking HARD. I think you’ll find that some people in your life are ready and willing to be there for you, no matter what. Additionally, creating a community that is in the same phase of life as you is also important. Having people you can talk to, bounce ideas off of, and have an understanding of just how hard this period of life can make all the difference when you are feeling tired, overwhelmed, and lonely in your parenthood journey. Joining your local PEPs (Program for Early Parent Support) group (https://www.peps.org/), Lamaze, or newborn classes in your community such as The Heybrook (https://www.theheybrook.com/), or even using apps such as Peanut (https://www.peanut-app.io/) can help you meet and connect with others in the same phase of life.

Professional Support - Sometimes professional support is needed to get you through life’s rough spots and changes. Talk therapy, support groups, and medication (Yes, even medication! As always consult your physician to determine what is best for you.) could be what’s necessary to get you feeling more like yourself again during the perinatal period. All of these methods have been shown to improve perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Talk therapy in particular is considered the “first line of defense” in treating depression and anxiety during this period of life. While your brain may be telling you “You should be happy to have a child!” our brains and our feelings don’t always match. Coupled with the very real hormonal and genetic predispositions for mental health issues during this time, professional help and support may be the best course of action. Even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, having a therapist or support group to process the change to parenthood could prevent any mental health issues from arising. Perinatal Support Washington (https://perinatalsupport.org/) and Postpartum Support International (https://www.postpartum.net/get-help/provider-directory/) have online directories of therapists and medication providers who specialize in perinatal mental health and also offer a wealth of different support groups for parents and families.

While this is not a comprehensive list, these 3 areas are extremely important to perinatal mental health and well-being for anyone who is embarking on the journey of parenthood. Even just addressing one of these areas can prevent or improve your mental health and well-being during the first year postpartum. Having a child and becoming a family is an exciting and hopeful time and caring for your mental health will allow you to enjoy all the perinatal period has to offer. As a society, our goal to raise happy and healthy children starts with healthy and happy parents. Consider this as you embark on this new phase of life so that you can enjoy all the big and small moments with your newborn and this new role for yourself. Advocating for yourself and finding what works for you and your family is not always the easiest task, but could positively impact you, your partner, and your child for years to come.

References

“Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression: Mood Disorders and Pregnancy.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/postpartum-mood-disorders-what-new-moms-need-to-know. Accessed 16 January 2024.

“Depression During Pregnancy & Postpartum.” Postpartum Support International, https://www.postpartum.net/learn-more/depression/. Accessed 16 January 2024.