Stress is found in everyday life.
Tight work deadlines, heavy workloads, and problematic relationships can all contribute to your stress levels.
When you’re pregnant, using natural stress relief techniques is even more important than ever.
Your stress levels and mental health affect you and your baby.
In this post, I discuss 11 natural stress relief techniques you can use while you’re pregnant, so you can manage your stress levels more effectively.
1. Write In a Pregnancy Journal
Some people have trouble expressing their feelings and experiences verbally.
If you have difficulty talking about your feelings, consider writing in a pregnancy journal. Journal writing is a great way to express yourself because you get your feelings out there and nobody is judging you in the process.
Here are some questions to help you write about your feelings and experiences:
- What are you most scared of?
- Talk about what you worry about the most.
- Describe what excites you.
- Do you have a plan in the next month, year, or 5 years?
- What was the most important lesson you learned today or in the last week?
- Describe any activities you did today that nourish your soul.
2. Say No
There’s never a shortage of people who will demand a lot from you.
When you’re pregnant, it’s important to say no sometimes to help you manage stress and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Your time and resources are limited. There is only so much you are able to do and your body is already working overtime in pregnancy.
3. Meditate
Using meditation for stress management is great for pregnant women and moms.
Life is filled with busy tasks and endless demands.
It’s easy to get distracted and lose focus in this type of lifestyle. Meditation helps you relieve stress, increase focus, and reduce distractions.
If you have never meditated before, try this simple exercise for 5 minutes:
- Choose a position that you are comfortable with. Some are more comfortable lying down, while others prefer sitting. Use pillows or cushions, as needed.
- Now, close your eyes.
- Pay attention to how you breathe. How are you inhaling and exhaling?
- Focus on your breath. Pay attention to how your body moves while you are breathing.
- If you get distracted, re-focus your attention back to your breathing.
4. Pet-Sit
According to the American Psychological Association, pets are sources of emotional and social support for people.
If you don’t have a pet, see if you can pet-sit for a family member, friend, or neighbor.
Hanging out with a pet will help you feel less lonely and give you more opportunities to socialize with others. Also, having a pet with you gives you the opportunity to exercise and spend time outdoors.
5. Write In a Gratitude Journal
What are you thankful for?
It’s easy to go down a negative path, especially if a few bad things happened to you.
At the end of the day, it’s important to also think about all the good things you have and happened to you. Keeping a gratitude journal will help you do this. Sometimes it can be hard to think about what you’re grateful for, especially if bad things happened.
If you’re having a hard time thinking about what to be grateful for, here are some hints:
- What diseases or health conditions do you not have?
- Do you have a home you can go to at the end of the day?
- What people in your life do you trust?
- Is there anyone in your life who talks to you in a respectful way?
You can try this 52-week gratitude journal to help you have good days all year long.
6. Do Tai Chi for Natural Stress Relief
Life can be really fast-paced and bring a lot of stress into your life.
Sometimes you just need to stop what you’re doing and slow down.
One way to slow down and relieve stress is to do some Tai Chi exercises. Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese tradition that uses slow, focused, and graceful movements, along with deep breathing.
7. Use Positive Affirmations
Using positive affirmations, on a daily basis, is a great natural stress relief technique.
Develop this good habit early on in your pregnancy to start thinking more positively. Some ideas for positive affirmations include:
- I am not alone.
- I have family and friends who love me.
- I am blessed with a home I can go to everyday.
- I will never give up.
- Doing my best is good enough.
- I believe in myself.
8. Organize and Develop Your Financial Plan
One of the biggest stressors I hear from pregnant women is figuring out the financial details on supporting their new baby.
Creating a plan can help remove the unknowns that can cause stress and anxiety.
Also, when you’re pregnant, it’s a good idea to employ several strategies to save for your baby. Having savings set aside will help relieve stress, in case there are any financial emergencies that arise, such as a big car repair.
9. Make a Baby List
You will feel more prepared for your baby’s arrival if you create a baby list of essentials.
Being prepared will help you get more organized and relieve stress.
You won’t be scrambling last minute to purchase all your baby’s needed essentials. Make sure your list covers most essentials including baby clothing, feeding supplies, diapers, baby transport and cleaning supplies.
10. Walk/Run in Nature
If your doctor gives you approval, try taking a nice stroll or run in a nature setting.
There’s a ton of stress relieving benefits when you are in a nature setting.
Benefits include breathing in fresh air and getting exposure to sunlight. Being in nature is also a great way to immerse yourself in an environment with less distractions so you can focus on the present moment and observe what’s around you.
11. Soak Yourself in a Relaxing Bath
Relaxing in a warm bath is a wonderful natural stress relief technique. You can use regular bubble bath soap or Epsom salts if you have body aches that need to be relieved. If you want more relaxation, dim the lights and use candles. You can also put on some soft music to soothe your senses.
Stress can affect you and your baby’s health.
Follow these tips for natural stress relief techniques to start feeling better today. You and your baby deserve to be happy and healthy.
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