What kind of “angry person” are you? Do you throw things? Do you hurt others physically like slap them or pinch them? Do you nag your way to anger? There are times one needs to get fired up before she calms down from her anger. Sometimes too, there are hormones in our system that we can’t just stop from exploding (yeah right! Blame it to those pregnancy hormones! We can get away with that.) Meaning, it’s but normal for us to get fired up sometimes especially when the tension’s mounting and we’re in deep need of a fast way to get some angst out of our system. The next time this happens, try this simple and un-scandalous activity instead:

In the midst of your anger, take a piece of paper and a pen, go to that quiet corner and write down your worries and fears; you can take note of your anger as well. Be as detailed as you can get; elaborate on those bad emotions. Just write everything out of your system. When you think you’ve written everything down, and that your brain is finally empty of reservations, apprehensions and irritations, take a deep breath, count to three and then shred the paper — and your rage — into tiny bits. Now, doesn’t that feel better?

What’s the Matter

Your place is getting too small for you and your baby, especially with the Nanny tagging along (hey! You need extra spaces for your baby’s stuff too!) Moving to a new location sounded like a fun escapade when you thought about it 5 months ago. Why not? You’ll have a new place, will meet new people and go through new experiences in a new community. It will be a fresh start! But your fresh start turned out to be a rotten dead-end. You decided the neighborhood is just too noisy for you to take, and the sea of hostile strangers in the other door makes you want to hide inside your apartment and stay there permanently!

What You Should Do

I know, just like me, you see yourself as the most genuine person in this world. Still, Even if you don’t feel like it, (since this can really be quite difficult and painful) it’s about time to show the biggest smile you can manage. Yes, you can do that. It’s easier to frown but you won’t like the results. So better show that radiant smile.

Why It Works Magic

There’s this popular cliché about getting through a very rough time – “Fake it till you make it”. And it does works! You see, smiling through a nerve-wracking situation or any grueling condition can help a lot. It will not only make you look friendly and composed (which is definitely an advantage for a stranger like you in a strange land), but it will also lift your mood altogether. It’s no secret, and what’s the rationale behind? Simple! Smiling sends a signal to our brain, it tells our brain nerves to be calm and tranquil. And when your brain is calm, it’ll send a signal to your lips to keep smiling and let the neighborhood know that you’re a friendly person who’ll respect their rights as long as they respect yours.

There’s The Rub

Who would turn down a massage with that yummy rub? Not many people I guess, but pregnant women would say it’s almost essential to have it. Especially during those times your body’s feeling beat and that contractions are sometimes painful, you can banish stiff muscles with a soothing natural body rub. Massaging certain areas of the body will help compete with pain messages in your brain. To make a special rub, peel and mash a ripe banana and a ripe avocado together in a bowl. Use your hands to mash and get the mixture as smooth as possible. Then add a drop of eucalyptus essential oil and mix some more. When your mix is ready, spread out a beach towel (you can pretend you’re in the beach too, hehehe!), put on a loose or open top (you can go naked as well), and rub it into your aching shoulders and other parts. You may have to ask your partner to rub your back as well and yes, your legs. Ahhh! Now that’s soothing, and yes, pampering!

What’s The Matter

The dirty dishes (stacks and stacks of them) are piling up on your sink again. It’s gross, and the truth is, you really wanna do something about it, but you are too wiped out to peel yourself off the bed to wash and clean them.

What You Should Do

Who says pregnant women shouldn’t exercise? Exercise (prenatal fitness) is very important in pregnancy. Thus, whenever you find yourself lacking the energy you need to get through the day, squeeze in some time for your exercise. Here’s a video from YouTube to help you with the most suitable exercise for pregnant women. Let’s sweat it out!

Why It Works Magic

I’m sure others have this perception that exercise would only make you more tired (and yes, it might – that’s if you only do it once a year). The truth is exercising regularly gives you way more energy, especially during pregnancy. Studies have shown that people who exercise regularly aren not just in better shape, they’re also happier and less stressed, as well. Medically speaking, exercise decreases the levels of our body’s stress hormone (cortisol). Thus, it will also help in turning up your body’s production of serotonin and endorphins – the hormones that basically lift your mood.

What’s The Matter

You know how expensive maternity clothes are. What makes you more reluctant to buy them is the fact that you won’t be pregnant for the rest of your life. But well, you just bought yourself a new maternity dress anyways, since you can wear nothing anymore (yeah, like me, you look like a whale, hehehe!) and you need to attend a dinner sponsored by the company. Well, that dinner just ruined your budget and yes, your night. You spilled chili sauce all over your new dress and to make matters worse, your closest friend laughed at you thinking you look comical and in your disconcerted state you dropped your purse in a huge puddle. Frustrated and close to tears, you though, “this is just too much to deal with”.

What You Should Do

True, each one of these incidents is aggravating and way beyond frustrating; however, you’re going to stand a much better chance of fixing everything if you embark upon them one at a time. It’s easier said than done, true, but it’s the most sensible thing to do at the moment. You should pick one problem — the one that’s bringing you the most anxiety – or you may opt for the first one you think of — and concentrate on it for a few minutes until you’ve think of a solution. You can go on solving the problem then and then move on to the next one.

Why It Works Magic

Deciding which dilemma to focus on is a restrained yet clever way to remind yourself that you are in control, and that you can manage everything. This trick should help you get through that overwhelming feeling of helplessness – which actually kept you from thinking straight in the first place.