A Gift to All Those Who Mother
With Mother's Day right around the corner, I thought it would be nice to give a little gift to all of those who are natural Mothers.
And let me make it clear, this is not exclusive to those who are a parent- although you all definitely deserve an honorary mention.
But this gift is for all the women who have the innate desire and drive to be a nurturer.
The one's who everyone turns to when they need help. Or the one's who often have so much on their to-do list, yet none of the tasks involve caring for themselves.
The one's who when they have even the slightest bit of down-time, they're looking for the next thing to do.
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Does this sound like you?
If so, then you're not alone. It's naturally built into women to give of themselves in order to care for those around them.
And this isn't a bad thing. Think of a mother feeding her baby, or that fact that 91% of registered nurses are female (1)- it's natural and necessary.
However, there are certain instances when women give so much of themselves that it leaves them depleted. And not just energetically, but also their physical and mental health can begin to deteriorate.
So it should be no surprise that women account for roughly 78% of all autoimmune cases (2) and women are almost three times more likely to experience a Common Mental Disorder, such as anxiety and depression compared to men (3).
These statistics are concerning but unfortunately, the reality for many.
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It's a woman's natural instinct to look after those around her. But I believe, her caring nature shouldn't lead to her own downfall.
Especially, in today's society where there is an increased demand and stress that everyone is feeling, and women are being called to take on even more.
The additional and often unaccepted pressure, can leave women with unresolved emotions that if not appropriately attended to, can lead to further dis-ease.
This is when the extra nurturance needs to kick in, but this time for herself.
Although women are naturally nurturers, for the feminine energy to remain in harmony she needs to be able to receive- as oppose to constantly giving.
When a woman is giving too much she leaves herself more susceptible to depletion and increases her likelihood of experiencing various symptoms and conditions of dis-ease.
Physical Signs of Depletion:
fatigue
dehydration and emaciation
dryness: skin, hair, lips, vagina
digestive symptoms: gas, bloating, constipation, hard stools
fertility issues
menstrual irregularity
peri-menopausal symptoms
Signs Within the Mind:
anxiousness, nervousness, and restlessness
fear, worry, and over-thinking
light, interrupted sleep
spacey, scattered thoughts
forgetfulness
In order to maintain health and harmony, it's essential for women to listen to their body's. The body is constantly giving feedback, as symptoms to communicate it's current state and what's needed to remain at ease.
When we ignore the signs, that is when the body continues to go further out of balance, therefore making it more challenging to return to a state of wellness.
Photo by Brandy Kennedy on Unsplash
3 tips to Honour Your Femininity and Maintain Health and Harmony
Just remember the 3 A's… Analyze, Assess, Act.
Analyze- on a daily or even moment-to-moment basis take time to purposefully examine your state.
Assess- Once you've done your examination, you would then evaluate your state to determine if any interventions would be appropriate, and if so what it would be.
Act- If intervention is needed, then choose the most appropriate approach to help bring you back into a state of ease- and most times less is more.
As one of my Ayurvedic teacher's, Dr. Siva Mohan always says, “Where am I at? And what do I need?”
In Conclusion…
Please note that this shift likely won't take place over night, if you're the type of woman who tends to give… and give… and give some more, then it may take some time for you to release those old habits.
I recommend that you start with one area that you know is draining you, and slowly start to reduce the demand that it has.
I know you already have one in mind.
And I totally understand, there are some areas that may be leaking your vital energy that you can't give up, and that's okay. Claim control of the things you are able to, and work to shift your mindset about the things you can't control.
As The Old Saying Goes…
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference…
But people often leave out the rest, and it's equally as important…
… living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time;
taking this world as it is and not as I would have it;
trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will;
so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and
supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
−Reinhold Niebuhr
References:
https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/nursing/regulated-nursing-in-canada/nursing-statistics#:~:text=Sex,be a female-dominated profession.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-nearly-80-percent-of-autoimmune-sufferers-are-female/#:~:text=inautoimmune disease.-,Women account for an estimated—and astonishing— 78 percent of,supports its role in autoimmunity.
https://www.agendaalliance.org/our-work/projects-and-campaigns/womens-mental-health-facts/