All Jayme

Identifying stress triggers and stress relievers

I’m feeling better and stronger everyday. I know my body is doing its best to heal itself. I know I’ll feel good as new when the week ends.

I’ve been reciting this mantra to myself for the past days, just a little something to shift my mood and attention away from pain.

I’ve been going through a rollercoaster of postpartum emotions.

Sometimes, I’d feel so happy, I’m like the perfect portrait of a new mom.

Other times, I’d feel so down, even a milk commercial can easily make me cry.

Still, there are times when I’d feel so blank and empty.

I’ve read that in situations like these, it helps to identify your stress triggers and to attack them with stress relievers.

Aside from crazy post pregnancy hormones, I’ve observed that pain is one of my stress triggers.
It gets pretty frustrating when I can’t move around as much and when the simple act of walking becomes so difficult. More than that, it can get a bit depressing when Jamaine asks to be carried and I have to refuse because my body can’t take it yet.

Sometimes, I also feel a certain sense of captivity. It feels like I’m tied to my babies with breastfeeding every two hours, singing lullabies and changing diapers in between. When I’m not taking care of Kalia, I shift my attention to Jamaine and play with her.

What helps me get through these stress triggers are journaling and blogging, my tried and tested stress relievers.

When I’m feeling really low, I put down all my frustrations on paper after which I just feel so much better. Oftentimes, I find that this works better for me than heaping all my emotions on some poor soul who might drown in my momentary negativity.

Besides, after I’ve gotten rid of my pessimistic thoughts, I gain a clearer perspective of the situation and I realize things are good after all. That’s why whenever I feel the blues threatening to hit, I take out my journals and pens and just write away.

Blogging also gives me that same feeling of release. Being able to hit the “Publish” button makes me feel I’ve accomplished something more than just breastfeeding and changing soiled diapers. Plus, it gives me that natural bloggers high, if you know what I mean.

Reading your comments also make me feel I’m still connected to the outside world somehow. I’m so thankful for all your good wishes because they do help lift my spirit. Having blogging friends, no matter how distant, is one of the web wonders I will always be grateful for.

Since my internet connection is up and running again, I’ll be sure to blog and bloghop more whenever my babies are asleep.

Do you have any tried and tested stress relievers for your stress triggers?

Posted in: Blogging, Motherhood, Writing

Tags: Blogging, journaling, Motherhood, postpartum depression, stress, stress reliever, stress trigger, Writing

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 12th, 2008 at 4:41 pm and is filed under Blogging, Motherhood, Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.