You matter...yes, we mean YOU!

Being a mother is difficult under the best of circumstances...add special needs, medical issues, or undiagnosed conditions and you may begin to feel like motherhood is a curse!  Extreme Motherhood can take its toll if you don't take ANY time to feed your soul, your body, your mind, your heart...
Many of us struggle with the lack of time we have for our marriages, our other children, and especially ourselves in the face of extreme caregiving but you CAN take time for you...even if just ONE MINUTE per day.

• Take time to relax daily - this can mean something as simple as taking a DEEP cleansing breath for a minute.  Do this several times a day to clear your mind of worry and anxiety.


• Keep a journal, blog, start a care page (like CaringBridge.org). Write down your thoughts and feelings. This will give you perspective and serve as a way to release strong feelings.  Write in 1-2 minute increments several times a day, or just once daily - whenever doable.


• Talk with someone to make sense of your situation and your feelings.  Seek supportive groups like Mommies of Miracles, diagnosis specific support groups, etc.


• Feed your spirit. Pray, meditate, or do another activity that makes you feel part of something greater. Take a mental retreat to someplace you have always wanted to visit.  For example pretend you are traveling to Hawaii, focus on sensory experiences like the feel of sand between your toes, the warm salty breeze in your hair, visualize the palm trees swaying in the sun, pretend you hear the the waves of the ocean...etc.


• Watch out for signs of depression and anxiety, and get professional help if needed.  We all have real and justifiable reasons to feel depressed, anxious, overwhelmed, exhausted, and defeated.  Seek out support whenever possible.  Seek out professional help ASAP for any thoughts of harming yourself or others, thoughts that become intrusive or obsessive, or severe mood swings.