Becoming A Calm Mom: Strategy #1

Are there any current moms or moms-to-be that have read this book, Becoming a Calm Mom?

In one of my "buy every baby book on Amazon" tirade, I purchased this book! In efforts of not shaming myself, I will not disclose the number of pregnancy and baby books that I have read to date, but will say that I may be losing count on my fingers! I know, there are so many books about parenting, being pregnant and everything else in between that I am not even certain how anyone makes a living off writing them. I mean, aren't there enough already for sale?

With that being said, I have really enjoyed the strategies outlined in Dr. Ledley's book. Maybe this is because she is a cognitive behavioral psychologist, of which I would also categorize my own theory of practice.

So why did I buy the book, ha?

Whether you are physician, psychologist, nanny, or whatever, the act of becoming a parent for the first time is daunting and overwhelming. I was intrigued by the idea that six strategies could aid in reducing stress and anxiety.

After reading the book, I like the six strategies outlined by Dr. Ledley, and would argue that these six strategies can be used not only during a parent's first year of parenthood, but in life generally.

So with that, I figure I would share the six strategies. I believe you will agree that anyone could benefit from her strategies as reducing the stress in your life.

Becoming a Calm Thinker

1.       Become aware of your thoughts. “What am I thinking right now?” 2.       Question your thoughts. “Does this thought make sense? Would I say this to my sister or my best friend? Is there a different way to think about this situation?” 3.       Answer the questions posed in the previous step. 4.       Come up with a Calming Statement that summarizes what you have learned after capturing your negative thoughts, questioning the thoughts, and generating answers to your questions.

  Ledley, D.R. (2009). Becoming a calm mom: How to manage stress and enjoy the first year of motherhood. Washington, DC. American Psychological Association.

Question of the Day: Have you tried using the first strategy, become a calm thinker, to lessen your stress?

Michelyn Cynthia