Infertility takes a huge emotional and mental toll – and it’s essential to prioritise your wellbeing. Here’s our Thrive Journey guide to 7 essential self-care practices.
The fairytale dream of meeting the person of your dreams, falling pregnant and having a baby, might happen for a few lucky people, but as most of us know, life throws curveballs. And for most of us, that storybook ending doesn’t happen as we imagined it.
According to the World Health Organisation, one in six people of reproductive age globally is affected by infertility in their lifetime (1).
And infertility is certainly something that can shatter hopes and plans.
The fallout from infertility stirs up many emotions from guilt to shame, frustration, despair and disappointment. And to make it even more challenging, we are told our best chances for conception are to be calm and relaxed!
So how can you stay calm, look after your physical and emotional health and cope with the demands and challenges of infertility? One of the best ways is to have a regime of self-care and compassion.
At Thrive Journey we support a gentle, holistic and woman-centred approach, where we understand that self-care is not necessarily a fix but it is an essential emotional and physical support. Read our blog on nourish your emotional wellbeing and our comprehensive guide on fertility.
Read on for 7 simple ways you can help soothe yourself and self-care
1: Calm your Mind: Mindful Breathing and Meditation
Stress elevates cortisol which can impact fertility by disrupting ovulation, menstrual cycle and progesterone production. Over time stress can lead to anxiety, tension, impact our mood and disturb our sleep.
By practising breath awareness and simple soothing pranayama techniques, such as Golden Ribbon breath (below), you can help to reset your nervous system and calm your mind.
Golden Ribbon breath
Sit or lie comfortably, breathe in through your nose. Then part your lips very slightly and release your exhale in a long, slow, steady breath. In your mind picture your out-breath unravelling into the distance, like a long, golden ribbon of light. Release the entire breath and then take another breath in through your nose. Repeat for at least 3-5 more breaths, more if time allows.
Don’t be too focused on getting the technique perfect, the key is to practise regularly and use this as a grounding daily ritual. Here’s our guide on the different between breathwork and meditation.
2. Move Gently: Yoga to Support Hormone Balance
Regular gentle movement such as yoga, walking and Qigong, helps to lift our energy, connect with our body and is an emotional release. It encourages oxygen rich blood into the tissues and cells and can ease muscle tension, tightness and anxiety. It also boosts circulation and nourishes our nervous system.
Yoga helps with emotional regulation and can lower cortisol – which spikes when we are in a stressed state. Read more about the connection between yoga and mental health here.
Try to integrate movement into your day – take a short morning walk in nature to help set your circadian rhythm, do some grounding yoga poses if you feel your stress levels beginning to rise. Check out our on-demand Thrive Journey classes or book into one of our weekly online yoga or Qigong classes with our expert teachers.
3. Eat to Nourish: Fertility-Friendly Foods for Hormone Health
What you put on your plate has a huge impact on your physical wellbeing, mindset and hormonal health.
An American study from 2018 (2) found women who ate a diet consistent with the US Dietary guidelines, such as; wholegrains, colourful fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds, protein and healthy Omega 3 fatty acids, had improved fertility in women and higher semen quality in men. For more on optimal conception nutrition, read our Thrive Guide here. Stay hydrated, avoid processed foods and restrictive or “fad” diets.
Make healthy eating fun and pleasurable – meet a friend for a nutritious goodness bowl or a morning smoothie. The food choices we make are key to our health and giving ourselves the best chance for a successful conception.
4. Build an environment to express your emotions
When life is busy, we don’t always give ourselves the space to process our emotions. Our world is deadline driven, so we push our feelings aside and fill up our schedules instead. Over time this can lead to a disconnect between our mind and body, leading to tension, anxiety, depression and overwhelm.
A US study found that women with pre-existing depression may be more likely to experience infertility due to physiological changes in hormone production and ovulation (3).
Prioritise your emotional wellbeing and take time to explore complex emotions such as grief, jealousy, fear and frustration in a safe space. Look at ways you can express feelings, such as journalling, creative therapy or speaking with a counsellor or psychologist.
Our emotional health is the foundation for our physical and mental wellbeing. Fostering healthy connections with friends and in your community will also help to create a strong emotional resilience.
It is important to invest time and energy with friendships and connections which help you to feel heard and valued. For more on the value of emotional healing read our article on a compassionate guide to reclaiming inner peace.
5. Prioritise Rest and Sleep
One of the best ways to reset and repair our nervous system is with good quality sleep. But when we are in a state of stress our cortisol levels are elevated and we find it harder to switch off and wind down. And we find ourselves “tired but wired.”
One of the best ways to ease yourself back into a peaceful state and promote healthy sleep is by have a calming evening bedtime ritual. Limit screens and have a no-device rule in your bedroom, journal or write down any worries before you go to bed, so you help to clear your mind. Do some of our Thrive yoga nidra relaxations and read our article on hormonal insomnia and fertility.
Make your bed as cosy and welcoming as possible – think of this as your time to unplug from the world and recharge your mind and body.
6. Set Boundaries and Protect Your Energy
As women we are often giving to others by taking from ourselves. Check in regularly with your own energy levels – think of energy like money in the bank – don’t overspend and always keep some in reserve!
You do this by setting clear boundaries, being comfortable with saying no and prioritising your needs. Have regular digital detoxes so you aren’t available 24/7. And remind yourself that self-care is not being selfish – it is being selfless.
7. Connect with Community
We are social creatures and being part of a community helps you feel seen and understood.
Take time to find a trusted friendship group – this could be with a shared interest such as a walking club or an online community such as Thrive Journey. When you take time to understand the value of caring for yourself, you realise that you are able to give your best to others too.
Communities such as Thrive Journey offer support and the opportunity to share experiences in a safe and non-judgmental environment. This deep connection builds and nurtures emotional resilience and inner contentment.
Trusting Your Body and Your Journey
Remember that self-care is about compassion, not control. We can weave these practices into our lives in small steps – every day.
Treat yourself as you would a close friend, giving yourself permission to just shut out the world and do a relaxation when you feel overwhelmed or fatigued.
Remind yourself that your self-worth is not defined by fertility outcomes. Make yourself a priority and take some time out to explore all the fabulous resources in Thrive Journey and lean into that wellness support.
At Thrive Journey we offer live classes where you connect with other people navigating this journey, expert yoga teachers and health practitioners as well as accessing a huge range of on-demand videos and courses to help support you every step of the way.
References:
- World Health Organisation – key facts https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/infertility
- Women with pre-existing depression may be more likely to experience infertility due to physiological changes in hormone production and ovulation, according to a 2014 US study.
- Brennan D. Peterson, Camilla S. Sejbaek, Matthew Pirritano, Lone Schmidt, Are severe depressive symptoms associated with infertility-related distress in individuals and their partners?, Human Reproduction, Volume 29, Issue 1, January 2014, Pages 76–82, https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/det412
- Diet and fertility (2018): a review, Gaskins, Audrey J. et al. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Volume 218, Issue 4, 379 – 389 · https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(17)30945-6/abstract
- Brennan D. Peterson, Camilla S. Sejbaek, Matthew Pirritano, Lone Schmidt, Are severe depressive symptoms associated with infertility-related distress in individuals and their partners?, Human Reproduction, Volume 29, Issue 1, January 2014, Pages 76–82, https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/det412
