November 20, 2017
How To Relieve Stress During Your Adoption Process
As beautiful as the adoption process is, it can be loaded with stress. From making the decision to adopt, to preparing for a home study, getting matched with a birth mother, waiting for the baby to be born, and signing the final papers…it’s not uncommon for anxiety to rear its head. In the end it is always worth it, but that does not mean it wouldn’t be nice to have a little stress relief along the way.
Today we’re sharing a few tips for relieving stress during your adoption process. Not only because stress is challenging and unhealthy, but because you need to remember that you are still a human being whose needs need and deserve to be met. Self-care should be a huge part of your adoption process.
So how do you find relief during adoption’s more stressful moments?
Take comfort in community. Community is everything—vital to happiness, security, peace, and purpose. There may be times when you feel lonely or need a distraction, and that’s when your support system is key. Stress is a heavy, weighty emotion. It is constricting and can make you feel like you’re boxed in with nowhere to go. When anxiety presses, reach out to your loved ones and immerse yourself in people with whom you connect. No one expects you to do this alone.
Do something everyday that feeds YOU. During the adoption process you will be thinking about a million other people. Your child’s birth mother, your new child, the adoption agency, lawyers, all the people who want to know how your process is going and how you’re doing. Where are you in that equation? When we’re stressed and busy, the person whose needs we most neglect are our own. And that’s exactly when we need to be taking care of ourselves the most. Make it a point to regularly get some exercise, eat something delicious, indulge in a favorite activity. Everyday choose something that serves and relaxes you, and resets your mind and body. Making nourishing yourself part of your adoption process.
Engage in stress-relieving activities. Get a massage. Put yourself in situations where you laugh. Eat whole foods. Take a walk in the sunshine. Breathe deeply. Move your body. Meditate. Make a weekly date with a friend. Spice up date night with your spouse. Acknowledge your stress, and then nurture it by purposely engaging in things that promote rest and relaxation.
Taking care of yourself is essential to successful parenthood. So why not start today? You deserve it.
