Mom Anxiety: What It Is and How Single Moms Can Cope

Mom anxiety is a very real thing, and it often affects single moms more than those who are part of a couple. The reason for this is obvious: when you’re juggling the responsibilities of parenting on your own, the stress can be overwhelming. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, don’t panic – there are ways to cope. This post will explore mom anxiety and offer some tips on managing it. So read on if you want to learn more about this common issue – and find out how to overcome it.

What is Mom Anxiety?

Mom anxiety is a type of anxiety that is specifically related to motherhood. It can be caused by various factors, including the stress of juggling multiple responsibilities, the fear of not being able to provide for your child, or the worry that you’re not doing everything “right.” 

These feelings can be all-consuming and can seriously impact your physical and mental health if you don’t manage them.

Mom anxiety is entirely normal. At one point or another, every mother experiences anxiety. And for single mothers, the everyday demands of parenting can be challenging. So if you’re struggling with mom anxiety, know that you are not alone.

Symptoms of Mom Anxiety

Anxiety can manifest itself in a variety of symptoms. The most common symptoms include:

• Feeling constantly tense or worried
• Racing thoughts
• Having difficulty sleeping
• Struggling to concentrate
• Feeling irritable or on edge

If you’re a single mom experiencing symptoms of anxiety, it’s critical to take steps to manage it. And if your symptoms become severe, speak with a mental health professional. They can help you manage your anxiety with therapy, coping skills, and medication. 

How to Deal with Mom Anxiety as a Single Parent

Fortunately, you don’t have to live with your anxiety. Instead, you can learn to manage your feelings in healthy ways and shake those persistent feelings of fear and dread. If you’re a single mom struggling with anxiety, here are a few ways to cope. 

Acknowledge Your Discomfort

If you start to feel anxious, the first step is simply acknowledging that you’re feeling discomfort. This may seem small, but it’s essential to managing anxiety. When you try to push away your anxiety or pretend that it doesn’t exist, it can make things worse. 

Accepting that you’re feeling anxious – and allowing yourself to experience those feelings – can help you to move through them more easily. After all, what kind of parent would you be if you didn’t worry whether you’re doing it right? So sit with those feelings and allow yourself to feel them. 

Take Care of Your Body

As a mom, getting caught up in the never-ending cycle of taking care of everyone else is easy. But if you don’t take care of yourself, it can lead to mom anxiety. Mom anxiety can be triggered by lack of sleep, unhealthy eating habits, and lack of exercise. 

To help alleviate your mom anxiety, it’s essential to take care of your body. Ensure you consistently get enough sleep, eat healthily, and exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself will help you feel better physically and mentally and make you a better mom.

Tap into Your Support System

If you’re struggling with mom anxiety, it’s important to reach out to your support system. You don’t have to do it alone just because you’re a single parent. If you’re starting to feel overwhelmed, you must seek help. Your family, friends, and neighbors will probably be more than happy to lend a helping hand. 

Whether you need help with day-to-day activities, a babysitter for a night to yourself, or just a shoulder to cry on, don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and ask for what you need. 

If you don’t have a lot of people in your life, there are also plenty of support groups and resources for single moms that can provide some much-needed moral and practical support. Whatever you do, don’t try to struggle through on your own. Instead, lean on your support system, and they will help you get through this difficult time.

Spend Quality Time With Your Kids

One of the best ways to reduce mom anxiety is to spend time with your kids. Bake cookies, have a movie night, or play a board game. And of course, no matter how busy you are, keep a few family dinners scheduled into your week. It’s too easy to feel overwhelmed by everything you have to do in motherhood, so taking some time to hang out with them is critical to keeping your relationship with them close to your heart. Kids pick up on stress, so spending time with them reinforces your love for them even in challenging times.

And when you’re focused on them, it’s easier to forget your worries and stressors. Plus, seeing your children’s joy can help remind you of what’s important in life and that YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.

Take Some Alone Time

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, sometimes the best thing you can do is give yourself some alone time. Step away from the stress of every day, and give yourself permission to focus on yourself. Read a book, soak in the tub, or go for a run – anything you can do to spend a few relaxing moments with yourself will help take the edge off.

Whether you take a few minutes to yourself or a whole day at the spa, carving out some time to yourself can make a difference.

Speak With A Professional

If your anxiety is starting to interfere with your daily life, it may be time to seek professional help. A therapist can teach you healthy coping mechanisms and support you as you manage your anxiety. 

If you’re struggling with mom anxiety, don’t hesitate to reach out for help – there’s no shame in getting the assistance you need. 

Single Mom Spot has a growing Database of Mental Health Resources that can help you find the kind of professional support you need to get your mom anxiety in check before it gets out of control.

Final Thoughts

Managing mom anxiety can feel like a full-time job, but it’s important to remember that you are not alone. There are many things you can do to take care of yourself and manage your anxiety. Are you personally dealing with high levels of ‘mom anxiety’ these days? If so please comment below or connect with us in the forum and start a discussion!

We hope these tips have helped, and we cannot wait to hear from you soon!

Make sure you’re subscribed to In Full Bloom, our digital magazine for single moms. You won’t want to miss our upcoming posts about self-care for moms. 

Support Other Single Moms: We Need You

Single Mom Spot is an online community for single moms to create real, offline change. Our resources are curated just for women who are struggling with single motherhood and want to create a new way forward. We are a new and quickly growing community and we would love your participation! 

Please support the other women that are on journey’s through single motherhood in any of the following ways:

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