It isn’t hard to see why so many of us are reeling from mental fatigue these days. Between busy schedules, an ongoing pandemic and a plethora of other stressors, it’s only natural that we’d feel pushed to our breaking points. Furthermore, mental fatigue can have a number of adverse effects on one’s overall functionality, competency and general outlook. This is doubly true for new mothers, who have to contend with caring for babies on top of all the aforementioned sources of stress. New moms looking for effective ways to shake mental fatigue can benefit from the following pointers.

Be Willing to Accept Help 

Although some people are happy to accept any help that’s offered, others have a hard time accepting generosity from friends, family members and other loved ones. Since they want to avoid inconveniencing the people in their lives, these individuals make a point of being as self-reliant as possible. However, while this approach to life may help you maintain your pride, it’s liable to lead to a lot of unnecessary stress. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of your new responsibilities, you’ll need to become comfortable with accepting and asking for help. 

For example, if a close friend or family member offers to babysit, help with meal prep or run assorted errands, you’d be wise to take them up on this. Furthermore, if you’re desperate for some “me time,” don’t hesitate to ask your partner or another loved one to watch the baby for an afternoon. The fact that you’re now a parent doesn’t mean that you’re entitled to personal fulfillment or that your individual needs are no longer important. Even if you were raised to believe that total self-reliance is a grand virtue, you’ll need to rid yourself of this mindset if you wish to minimize the stress of motherhood. A good postpartum support network of friends, family members and other new moms can do any struggling mother a world of good.   

Keep an Eye Out for Postpartum Depression Symptoms 

Postpartum depression is a very common issue faced by new moms, and the sooner you get a handle on it, the less impacted you’re likely to be. To help ensure that you’re able to catch postpartum depression early, take care to keep an eye out for such symptoms as feelings of hopelessness, thoughts that you’re a horrible mother, a total lack of enjoyment in life and excessive crying for no apparent reason. 

Should you find yourself exhibiting any of these symptoms, get in touch with a doctor, nurse, midwife or pediatrician. Depending on how severe your symptoms are, the person you contact may recommend certain medications. Additionally, if your doctor is concerned about brain health, they may talk to you about the benefits of bacopa monnieri. You may also benefit from seeking professional mental health care or reaching out to any mental health professionals you’re currently seeing.

Seek Mental Health Assistance

As touched upon above, professional mental health care can be a boon to new moms. Regardless of how much stress you’re currently dealing with, a good therapist or counselor can help prevent you from feeling overwhelmed and provide you with the tools you need to tackle the challenges of motherhood head-on. Mental health assistance can also help you identify the root cause(s) of any issues that are making your new responsibilities more difficult than they need to be. 

So, if you stand to benefit from mental health care, stop finding excuses to seek out the assistance you deserve. For example, if you think that therapy and counseling are prohibitively expensive, look for people who charge on a sliding scale or community clinics that provide mental health services free of charge. Additionally, if your schedule is too busy to allow for traditional in-person sessions, simply look for someone who offers their services remotely. 

To call motherhood stressful would be an understatement. Although parenting always has its fair share of stressors, things can be particularly difficult when caring for babies. Given how much care and attention the average infant requires, it’s easy to see why so many new mothers find themselves contending with herculean levels of stress. Fortunately, with the help of the pointers outlined above, overstressed moms should be able to find their way back from the brink.