How are you?
When someone asks, “How are you?“ what is your first reaction? Is it too big a question? Is it easy to be honest with the person asking? Would two different people get two different answers?
I’m not here to make any assumptions about how you’re feeling after the birth of your baby. You might be on top of the world, safe in the oxytocin bubble of newborn life. Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed or disconnected from your sense of self now that your life revolves around a brand new baby. Most likely there are good days and bad days, maybe good hours and bad hours. Connecting with your emotions is likely not at the top of your to-do list, but taking time for yourself is a great way to prioritise your mental health as you recover postnatally. I’ve listed a few prompts to give you some structure as you carve out time for yourself, even if it’s 10 minutes. You could use these prompts for journaling or as a way to check in with your partner over dinner.
Remember that with journaling, it’s about getting pen to paper, not writing perfectly, not writing for anyone but yourself. If getting started feels intimidating, you can try setting a timer for 7 minutes - often you’ll find that once you’ve started, you want to keep going! The first three prompts are good for a weekly check-in, then if you’re ready, you can move onto the prompts that are specific to the postnatal period.
Let’s get started…
What are 3 things from the past week that brought you joy and why?
Describe your perfect day. Be specific. What about it brings you joy or peace?
What are 3 things you are looking forward to this week?
When you’re ready…
What is the overriding emotion when you think about your experience of pregnancy and birth? Try to use 3-5 words max.
If you could go back to the day you found out you were pregnant, what is one piece of advice you would give yourself? Why do you think that would be beneficial?
What is something you need from your support system? Do you feel comfortable asking for it?
Well done if you worked your way through all the prompts, or even if you took 30 seconds just to consider one of the questions. Taking time to prioritise yourself is never a mistake, I hope this was helpful for you and there is plenty more to come!