Mental Health Awareness Week-Anxiety

New mum anxiety can be crippling. And You don’t need to be a new mother to fall victim...

When

When it’s easier to stand in the playground, head down, smiling at the baby instead of talking to others.

When it’s easier to invite friends to your home, than it is to venture out and away from your safety bubble.

When it’s easier to not respond to invites, and to just turn up if the mood takes you. Even though it probably won’t, because it’s easier not to.

When you think you can brave driving somewhere to do something, but it’s easier to turn around even though you’re seconds away from your destination.

When it’s easier to decline an invite to play group than it is to deal with the anxiety of going in to that HUGE room.

When it’s easier to find a reason not to make plans, or to cancel plans. Not lie. But find a genuine reason. The baby didn’t sleep. The baby is poorly. Too much washing to do. Tired. The baby needs to nap. Can’t upset the baby’s routine-Anxiety central waiting to detonate IF we upset the baby’s routine. 

When you know you’re leaving your babe in safe hands with a loved one, but attempt to eradicate every possible hazard before you leave, and then worry the whole time you’re out, about every hazard that you didn’t manage to control. 

When it’s easier to say no because saying yes means cramming that full-to-bursting brain with even more anxieties. Like how to prevent babe screaming in the car, like how to navigate around nap times, and school pick ups, and lunchtime, and, and, and.....

When in theory it would be amazing to ask that Mum friend to go to that all-singing, all-dancing, baby-must-socialise group, but in reality it’s easier not to.

When you CRAVE the company of other mums, to join them for coffee, to natter about how much your baby doesn’t sleep, how much he won’t eat, his first steps, first words. To share how crazy yet beautiful life as a mother is...but it’s easier not to.

When you’re in a constant state of agitation. You mind is thinking ten, twenty, fifty steps ahead. 

When it’s only 8am and you’re trying to figure out how to get the kids fed between the afternoon school run and the swimming lesson, despite the fact that you have over an hour, and manage to do it week in week out...

When you look at those gorgeous eyes, that gorgeous smile. When you know it’s all about them. When it’s warts and all. Anxiety and all. But TOTALLY worth it.

When.