Single motherhood is one of the most exhausting yet most rewarding jobs a woman can take on. But while trying to balance a full-time job, school pick-ups and drop-offs, extracurricular activities, financial obligations, and many other daily tasks, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. This is part of why single mothers often struggle with depression when parenting alone.
Unfortunately, single motherhood and depression are often not talked about together, so today… let’s talk about it! Here are three ways you can stand up to depression.
First, the beginning to standing up to depression as a single mother is accepting and knowing it is okay not to have it all figured out. As mothers, there is often an unspoken expectation that we are just supposed to know what to do and keep it all together. So if you don’t? Like most of us don’t. This does not mean you have failed. Give yourself some grace; you are doing a good job! It is important you speak with someone about how you are feeling. This can be a counselor or even your family physician. Depression has different levels of severity, and you do not need to walk this path alone. Sometimes, deep counseling or medication is needed to help, and that’s ok. Licensed professionals will be able to help you as you walk this journey.
Second, stand up to depression with positive daily affirmations. Battling your inner voice can be the hardest part of being a single mother. What we tell ourselves is what we believe. Studies show it takes a little over two months to form a new habit, so this is a simple stress-free task to tackle. Write down three to five positive affirmations about yourself on Post-it notes and place them in an area that you start and end your day. These positive affirmations will be the first and last things you tell yourself each day. At any point, you can add more. Three to five is just an easy amount to start with.
The third way to stand up to depression is journaling. Many times we’re guarded with our experiences as single mothers—even more so when also struggling with depression. Journaling is a healthy and efficient way to get out the feelings and emotions we tend not to talk about, which further feeds being overwhelmed and depressed. Journaling can help us gain back control over our emotions, which results in the improvement of our mental health. Setting aside five to ten minutes at the end of the day to unwind and reflect helps us release what we’ve been carrying on our shoulders that day.
The journey of single motherhood will always have its ups and downs, but this is okay. Know that when the downs hit us, we will get back up and continue the fight.
