Well Women Care
Put Some Spring in Your Step
Spring is on the horizon, but even so, winter can seem like a long time going. Both March and April can still bring snowstorms and cold, making winter’s grip feel endless. Sometimes, the long days of winter can leave us feeling a bit depressed, but there are steps you can take to boost your mood. Here are a few:
- Change Your Routine: Try something new to add a bit of excitement to your day. It can be as simple as driving to work a different way, trying a new flavor of coffee or food item, or taking a new exercise class. Anything new and fun makes us feel bolder and adds spice to our days.
- Give Yourself Flowers: Nothing improves a mood like a bouquet. The color and fragrance of flowers reminds us of spring and brings a bit of the outdoors in. Treat yourself for an automatic spirit lift!
- Eat More Veggies: This is important for a number of reasons. Vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals and eating more veggies can help you be healthier and lose weight. However, veggies also support the good bacteria in our gut. These bacteria help produce mood-boosting neurotransmitters such as serotonin, so a diet rich in vegetables can help you feel better mind and body.
- Exercise: Moving your body definitely helps boost your mood. Take a walk, hit the gym, the pool, or simply dance around your house. Anything that gets your muscles working and your heart pumping will help release those feel-good hormones.
- Laugh: Make time for a giggles. Watch cat videos online, find a favorite comedy, read a joke book, or call a friend who always cracks you up. Finding time to laugh every day reduces stress and actually raises serotonin levels.
- Be Social: Being alone too much can exacerbate down moods. Join a book club, call a friend for a movie, take your dog to the park—even small outings where you connect with others a few times a week in a social way can lift your spirits.
- Add Color: Try wearing a bright scarf or adding some colorful accessories to your home to remind yourself that spring, with its abundant blooms, is coming. Blues and greens will make you feel calmer, while reds, oranges and pinks will be energizing. Yellow is just a happy color, and florals can do it all.
- Take a Breath: Yoga, tai chi and other exercises that involve breathing are wonderful for keeping you calm, while engaging your body. However, simply meditating or taking moments through the day to breathe deeply can make you feel less stressed.
- Be Present: Pay attention to the natural sights and sounds around you, from birdsong to the colors of the sunset or the sound of rain on the roof. Taking a moment to savor the natural world can bring peace and joy to your day.
NOTE: If you truly feel depressed, then you should consult with your medical provider, as treatment may be necessary. Common signs of depression are fatigue, loss of appetite, loss of interest in seeing friends or doing activities that normally provide enjoyment, feeling hopeless and sad. Millions of people suffer from depression. It is treatable, so call your doctor today.
For more information about Partners for Women’s Health, call (603) 778-0557.
Obstetrical Tips
You Are Having a Baby
Congratulations! You are having a baby! While the arrival of a baby is a joyous occasion, it can also be a tiring one for a new mom. Following are some simple tips on how to prepare.
No matter how easily the delivery goes, most new moms find those first few weeks at home very tiring. Hormonal changes, the physical challenge of delivery, and the demands of a newborn on sleep time can all take their toll. Having a “support system” in place can make this hectic time go more smoothly, and allow you time to recuperate faster.
* Mid-pregnancy, start lining up friends and family members who might be able to help with running errands, preparing a few meals, or watching the newborn so you can rest. Knowing that you have support in place can ease some of the stress of those first few weeks at home.
* As your due date nears, cook and freeze meals that can easily be popped in the oven or microwave for quick dinners. Get your spouse or partner to help!
* Make caring for the baby a partnership. Granted, your spouse cannot nurse (if you are breastfeeding) but diaper changes, bed, bathtime and naptime help, or help with housework can all be shared.
* Get as much rest as you can before the baby comes. You cannot stockpile sleep, but if you are well rested before the baby arrives, you will be better able to handle the days ahead.
* Get in as good shape as you can before the baby arrives. Unless your pregnancy has complications, even women in the later stages of pregnancy can participate in some activities, such as walking. Exercise will help you sleep better, help ensure an easier delivery, and keep your metabolism in good shape. Exercise also releases endorphins, the “good mood” hormones.
* Get your nursery well stocked with diapers and other baby supplies to avoid last minute trips to the store.
For more information about Partners for Women’s Health, call (603) 778-0557.