In the United States there is a designated day for just about everything—National Doughnut Day, National Abyssinian Cat Day, National Hug Your Iguana Day—but did you know that November 7th is National Stress Awareness Day?
Perhaps you celebrate that day a bit more frequently than once a year if you are in the midst of adopting embryos!
It can seem like such a normal part of life to be stressed about work, relationships, traffic, health, etc. While some types of stress are manageable, others can cause more harm over time. The stress that comes from infertility has even been compared to the same level of stress that cancer patients face. Family building is stressful!
If you are going through an embryo adoption or struggling with infertility, consider some of these tips to help deal with stress.
- Try to look for the positive – Working through a home study, waiting to be matched, going through medical preparation, and the transfer. All of the technical aspects can feel overwhelming. It is important to surround yourself with people who can help you stay positive. If possible, lean on your friends and family for support. Remember: the goal is to welcome a new baby into your home. While it can be normal to worry, focusing on the good to come, and the joys in the journey will make things feel much faster.
- Take care of yourself, physically and emotionally– Exercise and a healthy diet has been proven to help with metal health and stress. It can be a very effective way to reduce some of the frustrations from the wait. The bonus is that it is not only good for you, but the baby you’ll soon be carrying. Find some healthy activities you can enjoy that will also break a sweat.
- Don’t let go of your hobbies – Do something important to you or brings you joy, outside of your quest to become a parent. Not only will it break things up, but it also helps you to disconnect from adoption and infertility, which can become all consuming. If you don’t already have a hobby, consider trying some new ones out. You may even make a new friend.
- Keep track of this part of your journey – This may be the furthest thing from your mind but consider keeping an adoption journal. It’s very therapeutic when you release your negative feelings and emotions by writing them down. It will also help you when you start working on a life book for your child to have some records of the wait. It helps to look back at the end of a stressful journey and know there was something worth waiting for.
If you want more tips for dealing with stress relating to infertility and adoption, watch our webinar here. To learn more about embryo donation and adoption, visit EmbryoAdoption.org
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