It’s unclear whether stress causes infertility, but clearly, infertility causes stress. Shocking right? However, dealing with stress can be easy when you learn some self-care skills. These skills will help you manage stress and go through life with ease. Further, it is important to remember that anxiety and stress are not the primary factors that cause infertility. Many other health and lifestyle habits contribute to infertility in both men & women. Let’s look at the underlying causes of infertility and how you can help yourself overcome infertility with confidence.
Do you freak out when you are overstressed or overburdened with responsibilities? Don’t worry! That will not be a reason for your infertility. However, if you deal with stress by overeating, smoking, drinking, or using drugs, it’s something that needs immediate attention and diversion to some healthier habits. It’s your time now to discover what works with you as an individual to overcome stress. Learn to steer yourself towards good habits and skills- here is a brief introduction to your stress-relieving tactics while you deal with infertility-
“Healthi formerly iTrackbites is an alternative to Weight Watchers. “
1.Take time to worry
Give yourself some me-time to focus on your goal to have a baby and analyze the struggle you are going through. Writing it in a journal is a great idea. Jot down all those questions and concerns that come up in your mind. At times, penning them on paper is a fantastic stress reliever. Pen down your emotions & concerns and give yourself the time to evaluate each of them carefully. As you proceed with your treatments, there are many things you may learn about fertility and journaling them is an excellent option to record the details and curate a keepsake for your future reference.
You may also choose to carry your questions with you to your physician to remember & clear your doubts in one go.
2.Breathing Exercises
Staying focussed on 10 massive, fulfilling, belly-filling breaths is an effective practice to follow as it shows the instant effect on the body. Sounds surprising? According to Harvard medical school, this exercise can decrease the heartbeat and reduce or stabilize blood pressure.
Set the alarm on your phone for the afternoon or evening to practice this breathing activity.
Practice waking up with ten deep breaths or make it a routine to take deep breaths before food or any other daily activity. According to research, following ten to twenty minutes of deep breathing per day is good for health.
3.Exercise
Are you dealing with anxiety? Then, it’s time for you to follow mild to moderate exercises, which is a perfect relaxing technique. Wondering whether you can exercise when trying to conceive? Low impact exercises are an excellent therapy to be active. You may skip exercising on certain days during an IVF treatment like retrieval or implantation days, however walking in nature is miraculous as it soothes your mind, body and soul. Overall, plan your activity within your comfort zone and try to avoid highly impactful exercises. Practise moderate-level activities and connect with your doctor if you have any queries.
4.Tense & relax
Have you heard of progressive relaxation? It is one of the best methods to relax when you are trying to conceive. This is an activity you can practice at any place. It helps you in understanding where your muscular tension is stored. Once you find it, you may choose to relax it accordingly.
A progressive relaxation routine has to be started from one end of your physique, ideally the toes. Tense up & tighten every area slowly and focus on relaxing to let the tension flow down. Pair it with intense belly breaths. Move to the next level once you reach your head and face. According to Mayo clinic, you can feel tremendous relief physically and mentally when you hold muscular tension for about five seconds and relax for 30 seconds. Try it and feel the difference!
5.Explore self-care activities that relax you
Carve out time to do activities that you enjoy. Try to pair self-care activities with your hobbies that can bring you delight. Relieve your stress by involving yourself in activities that help you relax and cope up with the pressure. When you involve yourself in an activity you enjoy, you tend to focus more on that rather than the stressful thoughts surrounding you. Such diversion is necessary to dilute your stress and feel confident when trying to fight infertility.
6.Create a healthy diet plan
Don’t panic with the word “diet” on the list. We are not going to push you to revamp your eating habits completely. Moreover, strict diets do more harm than any good. Add some healthy snacks to your diet every week, which you enjoy eating. These small changes in the eating pattern can act as a catalyst to boost up your positive energy and keep you in control while you travel through fertility treatments.
Simple, replace your chips with a handful of raw almonds or swap your ice cream bowl with a berry smoothie and see the magic! Checkout iTrackbites or Noom to get on a program that sticks. We have a very active FB community where you can find answers to a lot of your questions about the best plan for you.
7.Keep your Vitamins intake in check
Not every fertility treatment strikes success on the first try. Yes! Continuous efforts and follow-up are necessary to succeed in IVF treatments and other fertility treatments. Before you invest your money and time in these treatments, focus on improving your health. Get your complete blood check done to probe if you have any vitamin deficiencies. For instance, if you need to enhance any vitamin, find a supplement that works for you. Remember to follow your doctor’s recommended prenatal vitamin to boost your energy levels. Keep yourself hydrated and get enough sunshine nourishment too. Follow regular nourishment tips advised by certified nutritionists and doctors. Take care of your health; it’s essential!
8.Keep up the flow of blood
Want to stay active but worried about being active during fertility treatments? No worries! Low impact exercises are one of the best choices to relieve stress. You may also practice fertility yoga or connect with an acupuncturist who specializes in fertility therapies. Such activities help in strengthening the flow of blood throughout your body and offer a more holistic approach to fertility. The positive effect of this outcome may not be specific but many patients have experienced the change & control in their life by including these self-care sessions in their routine.
9.Indulge in an active social life
Step out and embrace some fresh air! Try new restaurants or enjoy some live music. Sounds boring? A cocktail at a trendy bar is also a good idea. Hang out at a spa with friends or plan a travel trip to burst out your stress. Hosting a dinner party for your adult friends is also one good way to chill out. After you have your bundle of joy in your hands, these moments turn to be deliciously indulgent as they will become far from possibility. Celebrating life will need much effort later, so don’t skip your opportunity now and focus on connecting with your partner and enjoying romantic moments. Also, pamper yourself and relish your me-time. Why wait? Get ready to chill out & relax.
10. Learn about the fertility treatment journey
Many of you must have explored so in-depth that you must by now be qualified enough to earn a degree in fertility treatments. You must have gained enough knowledge to understand human bodies and the conceiving process better than everyone around you. Although it is stressful, learning many valuable details in the field that excites you is interesting. The more you understand about the process and the treatment you undergo, the more you feel empowered. Try to educate yourself and clarify any misconceptions in your mind with your physician. You may also choose to join any group of fertility warriors with whom you can share your opinions and struggles. Get to know that you are not alone!
Wrap up
Each one of us has a unique taste in choosing what brings us joy. You may enjoy spending an evening with your friends or listening to your favourite album, whereas someone else may love treating you to a hot fudge sundae. So, the mantra is to indulge in daily rituals that give you happy vibes.Spare time to care for yourself, which is very important during such fertility treatments. Be kind to yourself and your partner, and never hesitate to ask for help. Feeling overburdened or lonely, don’t worry, talk to people around you and burst out your anxiety and stress.
If you have the ability to Love, Love yourself First – Charles Bukwoski