Using Mum Mantras to Improve Mental Health
Photo by Maksim Goncharenok
2023 may be well underway but I believe it’s never too late to commit to new things! Why wait a whole year when you could start practicing new resolutions now? One practice that immensely supports my mental health and overall self-esteem is mantras!
The origin of mantras comes from meditation practices. They can be short sounds such as humming or deep breathing. But most commonly used are phrases with meaning that are spoken out loud in repetition to help focus the mind and body on the present moment. If you’re interested in getting started with meditation, check out our guide on the blog here! Even if you’re not currently practicing meditation you can still start adopting mantras of your own! Not only can mantras help us focus, but they can also help us cope with challenging emotions.
Often as mothers, we can find ourselves falling into difficult seasons of seasonal or post-partum depression, sadness, and low self-esteem. Transitioning into stages of motherhood is a major shift that can lead many mums to self-doubt. It can be easy to believe the lies that our minds tend to make up– tricking us into thinking that we are unworthy, incapable, or less-than. But these ideas are far from the truth! Our power comes in taking practical tools to adapt to these very real and overwhelming emotions; one of which can be mantras.
I enjoy using mantras as an encouragement tool. You can pick a few mantras that you want to truly believe about yourself and then surround yourself with that phrase! Make it your phone wallpaper, write it on a sticky note to put on your bathroom mirror, and repeat it aloud while you get ready in the mornings! There are even apps such as Mantra or ThinkUp that can send you reminders of your mantra or new affirmations each day.
Try to stick to one or two mantras for at least a month (or the whole year!) and then reevaluate. Once you feel confident in believing that mantra, pick a new one!
I think that the more we repeat ideas and thoughts back to ourselves the more likely we are to truly believe them. So why not make those beliefs positive?
If you’re unsure what mantras you should start with or looking for inspiration to create your own, here are a few mantras for making 2023 your year:
- I am beautiful.
- I am proud of how far I have come
- I am enough
- Tomorrow is a new opportunity to try again
- I am exactly the person my children need me to be
- I will not feel guilty for taking care of myself
What do you want to truly believe about yourself or the world around you this year? There are so many ways that we can learn to be kinder to ourselves and others– especially in the transition to motherhood. Our emotions are valid but they don’t have to rule our lives. True change comes when we shift our mindsets! So, what mantras will you adopt this year?