How do you de-stress?

April is Stress Awareness Month and aptly, it’s also the month of my son’s first birthday. While the past year has been incredible, it’s also been stressful. The physical, mental and emotional demands of raising a baby have left me exhausted and my mind somewhat frazzled! So every day for a week, I tried a different way to soothe my mind, body and soul. Here’s how I got on…

Day 1

Before Helier was born, yoga was a daily ritual. After Heli, yoga was one of many vanishing pastimes. According to the Stress Management Society (stress.org.uk), stress and poor mental health remain one of our biggest public health challenges. Yet we continue to separate mental and physical health, despite the fact that they’re inextricably linked.

Yoga always nurtured me physically and emotionally and so, after leaving Heli with my sister, I roll out my mat. It feels like each minute of yoga gives back an hour of wellness, so I vow to find 10 minutes a day, every day, for a stretch.

Day 2

Fidget toys are all the rage with kids today, right? The craze had passed me by, but Heli is enraptured by one, so I decided to see why he loves it so much.

I let my mind wander while threading silicone string through holes and back again. There are buttons to press and pop too, which feels strangely cathartic. There’s no goal to reach beyond the immeasurable benefit to my mind, as the constant whirring of ‘Things I Need To Do While Heli Naps’ slows and quietens.

Day 3

Buying a pack of positive affirmation cards, I absorb some of the mantras. ‘Remain strong when things go wrong,’ one reads. ‘She needed a hero so that’s what she became,’ reads another. Motherhood needs us to be strong heroes for our children, but for ourselves, too. These kind words find their way into my soul and nourish me.

No good comes of the negative inner voice telling me I look old and tired, and should have spent last night batch-cooking Heli’s meals instead of sleeping through Netflix. What if I’m doing my best and my best is brilliant? I keep returning to the cards whenever negative thoughts niggle and as a result, my inner voice changes her tune.

Day 4

Stress Awareness Month hopes to improve conversations about the impact of stress and encourage us all to talk about our emotional state. This year, the theme is #choosehope, because hope inspires us to make a conscious effort to improve thin