I told my sister recently that I couldn't wait to have the baby, for many reasons, but partly so I could stop worrying. Worrying about eating the right things, not exercising too much, sleeping on my back, not drinking too much caffeine... you get it. Some women are cool and calm and relaxed and trust in the resiliency of babies. I try. I really do! But I also worry.
She smiled at me and, in the most gentle older sister way she could say it, reminded me there might be a thing or two I worry about after the baby enters the world. It is, after all, pretty dang safe in utero.
Eep.
If you, like me, lean toward the anxious side of life, I thought I'd share a few grounding statements that have helped me cope with worry along the way. Whether you want to employ these during childrearing or life in general, it never hurts to have reassuring phrases in our back pockets.
Here's what I say to myself:
- The worry I am feeling is normal. There is nothing wrong with me.
- I am doing something brave and scary. It's OK to feel overwhelmed.
- Sometimes, when we want something really badly, the stakes feel higher. It doesn't mean things are more likely to go wrong. It just means we want it badly. It's OK to want something so much it scares you.
- I don't need to give in to anxiety today. I will sit with the reasons I am grateful. I will I watch the anxiety wash out to sea, like a wave leaving the beach, rushing back to the ocean. Goodbye anxiety :)
- Take a deep breath in. Release it. You are breathing out the fear. Watch it exit your body. Relax into the space its absence created.
I hope these help you as much as they help me!