Life is a series of transitions. Childhood is full of them, and adulthood is marked by many of its own—going from living at home to living on your own, from student to professional, from single to married, from nonparent to parent, and many others. — Sarah Noel, MS, LMHC
Getting pregnant at a young age is not ideal, especially if the father of your child is not willing to own up to your mistake. Unfortunately, you may become a single mom in an instant. When this happens, your mental health will start to deteriorate, as you will begin to feel more anxiety and stress. At the same time, there is also a chance that you will suffer from depression. Everything may feel wrong in your life to the point that you would want to run away from your family or even think of suicide.
In this article, we are going to help you deal with your current situation of becoming a teenage mom. Take note that just because you made a mistake in the past does not mean that you can already neglect yourself. Always remember that what you had may be an unfortunate event, but it is not a bad life. There are better ways on how you can handle everything that life throws at you. Below are some of the smart tips that also recommends when it comes to improving your mental health during the first few years of becoming a new teenager mom:
Forgive Yourself
The only way to move to better tomorrows is to choose to forgive yourself for what happened. Stop blaming your actions that led to your present dilemma. Remember that these mistakes happened to teach you a lesson. Do not allow it to hold you back from moving forward to the kind of life that you and your newborn child deserve. Learn how to forgive yourself so that you can release all the negative emotions that you feel. In so doing, you will feel relief. Stop thinking about how you got pregnant at an early stage and instead focus on what you can do to improve your life.
Reach Out To Your Mom
Did you know that the first person you need to call in a situation like this is your mom? As much as possible, maintain a good relationship with your mother because she is the only one who can provide you everlasting and unconditional love. Through her, you will begin to see the proper ways of how to take care of your child while not forgetting about yourself. Your mom’s presence in your life right now can help a lot in keeping you happy and sane. Do not hesitate to ask her for questions or inquiries about how to be a good mom.
Connecting with the mom who has a wry sense of humor about her kids, her parenting, and her partner is like getting a gift. Someone who’s willing to whisper at the dance recital that her daughter is completely out of step can make us feel that she’ll be much more accommodating of our mistakes. — Vicki Botnick, MA, MS, MFTI
Eat Healthily
Now that you have just given birth to your child, it is imperative on your part to be extra careful about what you consume. Take note that this rule is essential if your newborn baby has a medical condition. As such, you have to begin following a balanced diet. Keep in mind it does not mean skipping meals to stay fit. Remember that being skinny is not healthy at all. What is important is for you to start eating healthy so that you can develop more energy to get ready for the day. It will improve not only your physical strength but also your mental health. Read further in BabyCenter.
Find A Support Group
No matter what happens, never forget the significance of having someone whom you can open up to about your problems and concerns. As already mentioned above, most of your days may be filled with grief and sorrow. Remember that the best way to deal with this is to let your feelings out. Find a set of friends whom you can trust and be comfortable to discuss your emotions. Even the simple act of addressing what triggers your feelings can already be therapeutic on your part. Otherwise, you may end up feeling insane for all the wrong things that are happening in your life.
An online support system would be best. BetterHelp is that support system you can trust. BetterHelp is an app that gives access to therapy and counseling at the tip of your fingers.
Motherhood, like life, is full of duality. The easy and hard, light and dark, personal and communal. — Shonda Moralis MSW, LCSW
Conclusion
Now that you are aware of the ways on how to improve your mental health during your first few years of being a teenage mom, be sure to follow them by heart. Never let any person or something bring you down. Remember that you must always find a way to take good care of your mental health so that you can become a better mother to your child. Remind yourself that age is just a number and you can always be ready for anything in your life.