Written by Sam Mishra, The Medical Massage Lady
Sam Mishra (The Medical Massage Lady), is a multi-award winning massage therapist, aromatherapist, accredited course tutor, oncology and lymphatic practitioner, trauma practitioner, breathwork facilitator, reiki and intuitive energy healer, transformational and spiritual coach and hypnotherapist.
Understanding the significant physical, hormonal, and emotional changes that occur during the transitional period following childbirth is crucial for women as they adjust to parenting. Postpartum hormonal fluctuations, uterine involution, perineal healing, sleep disturbances, and exhaustion all affect a woman's physical and mental health.
A woman's body undergoes significant hormonal changes during childbirth, which impact both her physical and mental well-being. A rise in prolactin and oxytocin, essential for bonding and breastfeeding, can make it difficult to sleep and contribute to maternal fatigue. This, in turn, can affect her mood and potentially lead to the "baby blues," a short-term state of emotional vulnerability that affects 50 to 80% of women and is characterized by hypersensitivity, a tendency to cry, irritability, and mood swings.
Conversely, a sharp drop in progesterone and oestrogen can cause symptoms such as fatigue, mood swings, and emotional instability. In some cases, hormonal changes can trigger postpartum depression (PPD), which affects 10 to 20% of women, lasts longer than two weeks, and interferes with daily functioning. PPD may include symptoms such as sadness, disinterest, sleep and appetite disturbances, anxiety, guilt, and even distressing thoughts.
The postpartum decline in sex hormones also impacts libido and sexual function. While exhaustion and the demands of caring for an infant leave little opportunity for sexual desire, vaginal dryness, caused by decreased oestrogen levels, can make intercourse painful.
Water retention and prenatal weight gain may persist for a few weeks after delivery, followed by gradual weight loss facilitated by breastfeeding, as postnatal hormonal changes also affect body composition and metabolism. The body adjusts to its new nurturing role during this transitional phase, which requires patience and self-compassion. During this time, the perineal tissues regenerate, the uterus contracts, and the organs return to their original positions. To prevent issues such as prolapse or incontinence, basic exercises to strengthen the perineum may be necessary after childbirth, especially in cases where an episiotomy was performed.
New parents often have questions about their sexuality after childbirth. One important aspect of the postpartum phase that deserves careful consideration is the return to sexual activity. It is generally recommended to wait 6 to 8 weeks after giving birth before engaging in penetrative sex, allowing the uterus and cervix time to return to their natural positions and ensuring proper healing of any perineal injuries or C-section scars. Resuming sexual activity too early increases the risk of infection and discomfort.
Women recover at different rates and may not feel ready to re-engage in sexual activity immediately, so they should listen to their bodies and avoid feeling pressured by societal norms or their partners. Several factors can influence the ability to regain a fulfilling sex life, including exhaustion, a decline in libido, changes in body image, and fear of pain or another pregnancy. These concerns can be alleviated through open and compassionate communication between partners, extended foreplay, the use of lubricants for vaginal dryness, and reliable contraception.
For new mothers, the postnatal period is a time of significant physical and emotional change. During the postpartum transition, a woman's self-esteem may be affected by an increased prevalence of conditions such as anaemia, mastitis, breast engorgement, constipation, haemorrhoids, and urinary tract infections.
In addition to medical conditions, emotional and psychological challenges such as postpartum depression (PPD), postnatal anxiety, and the baby blues can arise during this period. These postpartum physical and mental health concerns can influence the transition to a joyful and fulfilling parenting experience.
Mothers experience significant psychological turmoil throughout the perinatal period. The baby’s arrival necessitates considerable shifts in family and couple dynamics, as well as a profound redefinition of identity, roles, and responsibilities. Women need to rely on their social support systems to find ways to manage stress and emotions while recognizing and addressing challenges that could undermine their confidence. They will have a more positive parenting experience once they are able to normalize the upheavals they have undergone.
Changes in identity
Becoming a mother causes a significant shift in one's identity. It is not merely a change in status but a psychological transformation that affects all facets of a woman's sense of self. Pregnancy and childbirth disrupt a woman’s self-perception, requiring her to integrate this new aspect of herself into her identity. Drawing from her own early experiences, parental role models, values, and anxieties, she must construct an image of herself as a mother.
During pregnancy, women may project their expectations and desires onto the unborn baby, but the actual child may not fully align with these ideals. This can be a difficult process, sometimes leading to feelings of disappointment or loss.
Motherhood also reactivates unresolved issues from one's past and relationship with one's parents. The arrival of a child shifts the balance between different identity spheres, with the "parent" role suddenly occupying a significant space, sometimes at the expense of other roles, such as lover, woman, professional, or social. It is important to avoid unintentionally replaying old wounds and unconscious patterns with the child.
Finding a new, fulfilling balance and adjusting to this evolving identity takes time. Motherhood brings new responsibilities and an irreversible sense of duty, which can lead to anxieties about one's ability to handle the role. To overcome these fears and build self-confidence as a mother, it is crucial to accept one's limitations and imperfections and to embrace the reality that learning happens through experience.
Changes in couple dynamics
A child's arrival is a time of immense joy, but it also comes with its share of difficulties and adaptations. The significant shift in relational dynamics disrupts the distribution of roles and responsibilities, as well as the previously established balance. Women often become more focused on caring for the infant, which reduces their availability to their partner. Communication and intimacy are tested, as sleep deprivation, exhaustion, and the baby's continuous needs leave little time for connection.
Sexuality may be affected by decreased desire, postpartum bodily changes, and concerns about losing one's attractiveness. An overemphasis on the child can overwhelm the relationship, so it is important to nurture time together as partners, not just as parents. Strategies for maintaining the partnership include scheduling quality time, occasionally entrusting the baby to others, and creating small rituals for connection.
Each partner brings their own background, values, and parenting vision to the relationship, which can sometimes lead to conflict. Learning to consult one another, reach compromises, and establish a shared approach requires communication, adaptability, and mutual respect.
Parenthood also marks a new stage of psycho-affective development, reactivating childhood struggles, potential deficiencies, and past wounds. Mutual support within the couple is essential during this transition; listening, expressing needs, demonstrating empathy, acknowledging each other's efforts, and respecting individual autonomy help strengthen the bond. Unconscious projections onto the partner or child can interfere with the relationship, so personal reflection on one's own history is often beneficial to avoid repeating dysfunctional patterns.
Coping strategies
Using relaxation techniques like breathwork or mindfulness to manage stress and anxiety on a daily basis can help women confront their sometimes illogical worldview, promote emotional expression, normalize fears, and reduce guilt about not being the "good mother" that society expects them to be. In addition to easing a mother’s anxiety, these techniques help her regain confidence in her abilities, trust her instincts, and spend quiet bonding time with her child.
Many women feel powerless, inept, and out of sync with the ideal mother portrayed by the media and social platforms in a culture that places a high value on performance and competence. Fear of making mistakes or not being good enough can lead to extreme tension and constant self-examination of one’s decisions and behaviors. The overwhelming and often contradictory information available on parenting only adds to this unease.
Challenging limiting beliefs and questioning the societal ideals of the "good mother" can help women break free from social pressures by reminding them that there are many ways to be a mother, all of which are equally valid. By identifying their own values, priorities, and what matters most to them as mothers, women can make more confident decisions.
Every mother acquires a variety of skills through her interactions with her child, often without realizing it. Recognizing and celebrating these moments of success fosters a sense of pride and self-efficacy, ultimately strengthening a mother’s confidence.
One can learn to take a moment out of the chaos of daily life to pay attention to one's breathing, notice bodily signals, and become more conscious of one's emotions. This self-presence can be cultivated with the aid of techniques such as cardiac coherence, mindfulness, and gentle yoga. Mothers are more likely to listen to themselves and adjust their parenting when they are encouraged to take time for replenishment, even if only for a short while, during which they connect with their current needs and feelings. Rather than striving for perfection, it is important to foster kindness toward oneself, embrace the right to make mistakes, and acknowledge vulnerability, as motherhood is full of challenges and tribulations.
One strategy for a new mother to maintain emotional equilibrium is to give herself time each day to do something that nourishes, calms, and uplifts her. This may include a walk in nature, a yoga class, a coffee date with a friend, or a hot bath. Re-establishing a connection with one's own needs and honoring them without guilt is crucial.
One of the primary keys to relaxation is breathwork, which helps calm the nervous system and induce a state of relaxation. By using emotional regulation tools and taking excellent care of themselves, women can experience a more peaceful and fulfilling motherhood while embracing greater gentleness and self-compassion. A particularly effective breathing method for managing stress is heart coherence, which involves synchronizing one's breathing with the heart rhythm to increase parasympathetic tone and improve stress and emotion regulation.
Unconsciously stored stress can be released through progressive muscle relaxation, which involves tensing and then gradually relaxing various muscle groups from the feet to the head. By projecting into a secure setting and establishing mental distance from stressful situations, you can use visualization to induce and restore a sense of calm.
By concentrating on the present, breathing, body sensations, or ambient sounds, mindfulness meditation is becoming an increasingly popular stress-reduction technique. This practice promotes inner peace and helps one detach from thoughts that cause anxiety. In addition to helping women prioritize their well-being, replenishing activities like taking a hot bath or walking outdoors can also help them create peaceful and tranquil spaces in their daily lives as new mothers.
After the traumatic experience of childbirth, physical and wellness activities can provide the body with the time and care it needs to heal and adjust to this new phase of life, encouraging recovery, self-assurance, and a sense of connection to one’s body. Postnatal yoga, a gentle practice that can relieve tension, strengthen deep muscles, and calm the mind, is also adapted to the fragility of the perineum and abdominal belt, allowing for a delicate reconnection with the pelvis. Additionally, when body awareness and body image may feel diminished, massage promotes reconnection with sensations and helps relieve stress.
These techniques can assist women in building their stress-reduction skills. By looking after themselves, they become more available to foster their intimate relationships and form a satisfying bond with their child.
Compassionate communication
While sex may remain off-limits during the transitional phase after becoming a new mother, several strategies can enhance the bond between partners. In order to navigate the postpartum phase more easily and build nourishing, satisfying relationships with themselves and their loved ones, compassionate communication is crucial.
To show compassion to others, one must first learn to be self-compassionate, which entails understanding that one's emotions are normal and recognizing them without judgment. Affirmations like "I am a loving mother, and I am good enough" can be part of this internal compassionate dialogue, boosting self-esteem and positively impacting relationships.
Practicing gratitude can also be a simple way to cultivate kindness toward oneself and others. For example, writing down three things one is grateful for each day can help focus on the positive aspects of life, strengthening one’s sense of belonging both to oneself and to others.
Synchronization, which involves the couple intentionally breathing deeply together, looking into each other's eyes, and placing a hand on each other's hearts to create physical and emotional alignment, is a powerful tool for re-establishing intimacy with a partner.
Rediscovering your femininity
Being a mother is a time of enormous physical, mental, and identity upheaval. Accepting their new bodies, rekindling intimacy, and striking a balance between their roles as mothers and other aspects of their identities as women are just a few of the challenges new mothers face. What are some strategies for new mothers to develop a fulfilled femininity that aligns with their new identity?
1. Body image
Many women experience a disconnection between their ideal self and their actual postpartum silhouette when confronted with this "new" body, which may include a round belly, sagging breasts, stretch marks, and other changes. This disconnect is exacerbated by society's beauty ideals, which emphasize firm, thin, and flawless skin. Women often experience stress and body dissatisfaction when they compare themselves to idealized images of celebrities who regain their pre-pregnancy figures within weeks of giving birth. Some women may never return to their pre-pregnancy bodies, so setting reasonable goals and gradually adjusting their lifestyle to accommodate their new role is essential.
Finding value in the remarkable functions of a mother’s body rather than its appearance requires a shift in self-perception and the adoption of self-compassion to accept the postpartum body. Carrying and nourishing a baby for nine months, enduring the stress of childbirth, and producing milk to feed a newborn are incredible achievements that deserve recognition. Since women often neglect themselves in favor of their babies, acceptance also means acknowledging their own needs. However, self-care is essential in order to care for a child effectively.
2. Rediscovering your sensuality
Women experience significant upheaval during motherhood as they assume a new role that may eclipse other aspects of their personalities, such as femininity and sensuality, both essential to women's fulfillment and balance. The idea that a "good mother" is entirely devoted to her child, putting her femininity and sexuality on hold, reinforces the belief that women who have undergone changes in their bodies and priorities struggle to feel attractive and sensual, losing touch with their femininity.
Being a woman and a mother are not mutually exclusive; on the contrary, they complement each other. Women can feel more fulfilled and excel in their role as mothers when they cultivate their femininity and give themselves permission to fully experience all aspects of womanhood, without having to choose between being a mother and a lover. However, after a life-altering experience like motherhood, how can one re-establish a connection with this aspect of themselves?
You can reacquaint yourself with your body and sensations through perineal rehabilitation, massage, somatic exercises, or mindfulness. Reconnecting with one's feminine and sensual side can also be facilitated by wearing sexy lingerie, getting your hair done, or taking a soothing bath. After spending months attending to a newborn's needs, it may take time for women to reawaken their sensual potential and capacity for pleasure, but it's important to remember that this should happen at their own pace. To find new ways to enjoy intimacy, it is essential for women to talk to their partner or a professional about any sexual difficulties they may experience after giving birth.
3. Finding the balance
Finding balance involves seeing the roles of mother and woman as complementary, allowing moments for oneself guilt-free, and preserving intimate moments within the couple, perhaps through a date night. Society often portrays mothers with an idealized image in which they must excel on all fronts, being perfect mothers, fulfilled lovers, active women, and always available friends. However, these are unrealistic demands, and balance is a continuous learning process.
It is normal to be completely absorbed by the newborn, but it is important to remember that as the child grows and gains independence, opportunities will arise to reconnect with other aspects of oneself.
4. Self-worth
Women may feel overburdened, question their abilities, and struggle to communicate their needs due to new responsibilities and unrealistic social expectations. It is crucial to appreciate one's own accomplishments and growth rather than compare oneself to other women or hold an idealized view of motherhood. Everyday struggles and restless nights can lead to feelings of inadequacy and a decline in self-confidence.
Establishing boundaries, delegating tasks to a friend or partner, creating spaces for self-fulfillment, and building a strong support system can all help women reconnect with the aspects of themselves that foster positivity and self-worth.
5. The pressure to be perfect
Society presents women with irrational and contradictory expectations, conditioning them to believe that a "good mother" must be completely committed to her child while simultaneously being a content woman, a loving partner, and an accomplished professional. Women who are expected to excel in everything experience extreme stress, ongoing guilt, and a sense that they are never doing enough.
Some women struggle with heightened perfectionism, trying to manage every facet of motherhood, from feeding their child to stimulating their development, all while keeping the house immaculate. This relentless pursuit of perfection continuously raises the standard, leaving no room for error or spontaneity and increasing the fear of "failure," which fuels feelings of inadequacy.
Fulfilled motherhood depends on managing and letting go of these expectations. Instead of attempting to fit into a stereotype of the perfect mother, it is about learning to establish your own standards for successful parenting, ones that align with your values and emotions. Rather than conforming to external pressures, it is important to acknowledge your own limitations. Practicing mindfulness can help you trust your maternal instincts and tune in to your intuition.
6. Letting go
Letting go and embracing one's imperfections as a mother is one of the challenges of motherhood. In a culture that emphasizes control and performance, it can be difficult for young mothers to accept their imperfections, but it is crucial that they learn to do so.
Letting go means accepting what is beyond our control and embracing situations as they arise without attempting to control them. It is an inner attitude that encourages us to release expectations, relax, and trust in life's course. Letting go is especially beneficial in the context of motherhood, as it enables mothers to gently adjust to the numerous unanticipated circumstances and changes that come with the arrival of a child.
This process involves acknowledging that things don't always turn out as hoped or intended and making the most of what happens. It also requires embracing vulnerability and imperfection. By accepting your humanity and admitting your flaws, you provide a healthy and realistic role model for your child. Practicing kindness toward your imperfections can help separate you from the pressures of performance and allow you to live more authentically.
Letting go is a gradual learning process that requires a great deal of self-compassion.
7. Reclaiming sexuality
Women need to reacquaint themselves with their changed bodies, sensations, and the balance of intimacy in their relationships after giving birth. Feeling like a woman again and finding fulfillment in a romantic relationship requires reclaiming one's intimacy and sexuality.
Certain birth-related procedures, such as forceps delivery or episiotomy, may impact sexuality and potentially cause discomfort, making it challenging to resume sexual activity. However, postpartum relationships extend beyond the physical realm. Intimacy can also be affected by new curves, stretch marks, and leaky breasts, which may cause some women to feel self-conscious. A disconnection between the erotic body, associated with pleasure and sensuality, and the maternal body, dedicated to the baby, can lead to diminished libido.
It is normal to feel unattractive, to be highly aware of these changes, and to fear how others perceive this new figure. It may seem as though sexuality must be postponed until after motherhood. Social depictions of motherhood, which have traditionally positioned the mother in opposition to the lover, can reinforce this dichotomy. However, it is crucial to remember that these two aspects are complementary rather than contradictory. A fulfilled woman can fully experience both motherhood and sensuality.
Regaining awareness of the pelvic floor and strengthening the muscles strained during childbirth are important steps in reclaiming intimacy after the baby is born.
Pelvic floor rehabilitation aids in this process. Regaining familiarity with one's skin, erogenous zones, and sensations is another benefit of massage. To respect each other's rhythms and achieve closeness and emotional stability, it is imperative to communicate with your partner about your desires, fears, and uncertainties.
Exploring different types of pleasure beyond penetration is another way to be intimate. There are numerous exercises and methods to share an exciting moment of connection without feeling pressured to participate. Making time for seduction and letting go is also an essential part of reclaiming one's erotic body. Moments of uncertainty or discouragement caused by libido swings are common. The key is to accept these variations with kindness and without pressure.
After having a baby, regaining one's closeness and sensuality can be an exhilarating and sometimes intimidating journey toward a renewed sense of femininity.
8. Self-care
New mothers frequently prioritize their child's needs over their own, but it is crucial to take time to refuel and reconnect with personal well-being. This demonstrates self-compassion in action, encouraging women to acknowledge their needs and respond with kindness and without guilt.
In a culture that emphasizes selflessness and maternal devotion, it can be challenging for new mothers to give themselves permission to prioritize their own needs. Creating a positive self-image can be as simple as establishing a comfortable space at home, diffusing calming essential oils, practicing gratitude, and celebrating personal successes.
9. Identity integration
Finding a balance between these various roles is crucial because, as the child develops and gains independence, space will open up to reconnect with other aspects of oneself. These roles are complementary to one another rather than commitments that require giving up other parts of oneself.
Harmoniously reconciling the roles of woman, lover, mother, professional, and friend can be quite challenging. This involves scheduling regular time for each responsibility without feeling guilty about it, such as having coffee with a friend. The key is to be aware of one's needs and to view unexpected circumstances as opportunities to regain balance rather than as failures.
What matters is the quality of time spent in each area, not the amount. Each aspect of one's personality is deeply nourished by being fully present in each experience.
8 steps to creating positive change
1. Identification of barriers and limiting beliefs
Women can release guilt, exhaustion, and difficulty asking for help by becoming aware of these limiting beliefs and exploring them without passing judgment. Motherhood requires a profound reevaluation of one's beliefs, values, and priorities. Doubts, fears, and internalized directives can distort one's perception of herself, her role as a mother, and her ability to face the challenges of the postpartum transition.
To challenge these beliefs, we must assess their applicability and implications in the present by examining our upbringing, societal influences, personal experiences, and more. The objective is to make deliberate commitments to free oneself from these limiting beliefs by thinking and acting differently, in alignment with one's deep aspirations and real needs.
This process helps identify both external and internal obstacles. External challenges may include material constraints, lack of support, or relationship difficulties, while internal barriers often stem from fears and self-imposed beliefs. These factors influence a woman's ability to trust herself, commit to change, and gather the necessary resources to navigate the postpartum period.
By recognizing and overcoming inner obstacles, she will feel more secure and in tune with herself as a woman and with her new role as a mother.
2. Fear and resistance to change
Becoming a mother is a significant transition that disrupts preconceived notions, routines, and equilibrium. It is normal to experience anxiety, uncertainty, and resistance, which can hinder adjustment to this new phase of life.
The ability to freely and without judgment express her fears, such as the fear of failing, fear of the unknown, fear of losing her identity, or fear of not knowing how to handle the baby's cries, is crucial. Recognizing the catastrophic thoughts that fuel these fears, often disproportionately to reality, can help put them into perspective. By examining their actual likelihood and objective outcomes, we can make these concerns more manageable.
Identifying the underlying resources and needs related to these anxieties may indicate necessary adjustments to the situation. Working through the physical symptoms of these fears, such as stomach knots, may also be part of this process. Techniques such as breathwork, mindfulness, visualization, or somatic exercises can help calm the nervous system.
3. Increasing drive and dedication
Women must define their essential values to support their intrinsic motivation and sustain their dedication to their life project, despite the challenges they face during the postpartum transition phase, which may cause doubts about their ability to handle the demands of everyday life. By determining what is truly important to her and what gives her life purpose, she can gain clarity and direction during difficult times. Visualizing her model of success and setting an inspiring goal can be aided by tools such as vision boards.
In addition to supporting long-term commitments, she can build confidence and cultivate a healthy self-image as both a woman and a mother by celebrating accomplishments and progress with those who believe in her, support her through struggles, and encourage her. By reframing setbacks and challenges as opportunities for learning and growth, every difficulty becomes a chance to test new strategies, develop new skills, and adjust her plan of action.
4. Establishing practical objectives
To progress in this new phase of life, it is crucial to set clear benchmarks, clarify aims, translate them into tangible goals, and create a personalized action plan, especially in light of the numerous obstacles and changes that come with the birth of a child. Taking intermediate steps and setting short-, medium-, and long-term goals will help maintain motivation. Breaking down the change into smaller monthly and weekly sub-goals makes it more attainable.
Setting realistic, solution-focused objectives that avoid unnecessary pressure from irrational expectations requires considering the available resources and limitations. An action plan, which will naturally evolve over time, will outline daily tasks and accessible resources. Staying motivated can be achieved by documenting progress, acknowledging small victories, and recognizing learning opportunities through journaling.
5. Honoring successes
Highlighting everyday accomplishments during this period of transition and challenge allows women to acknowledge their achievements and lessons learned, fostering gratitude while building resilience and self-confidence for future challenges.
These accomplishments should include work-related projects, artistic pursuits, fitness milestones, and other personal achievements, ensuring that a woman feels valued even after becoming a mother.
Perceived failures should be viewed as learning experiences where new skills can be acquired; normalizing mistakes encourages perseverance through life's ups and downs.
Honoring accomplishments is a cornerstone of self-worth and motivation. It enables women to recognize and celebrate their successes, laying the foundation for a healthy self-image that supports their full potential as both mothers and individuals.
6. Relapses
During any transition stage, it is common to experience periods of uncertainty or regression; however, these episodes do not diminish the overall journey. Instead, they provide an opportunity to strengthen resilience and develop new strategies for overcoming future obstacles.
A woman can gain perspective on her situation by placing it within the broader context of her journey and progress, rather than harshly judging herself, if she practices self-compassion. By curiously examining the factors that may have contributed to the relapse, she can uncover reactivated limiting beliefs and underlying needs.
If women recognize recurring patterns, such as negative thoughts, physical tension, or a tendency to isolate themselves before a relapse, they can implement preventative self-care practices like mindfulness or breathwork to avoid falling back into unhelpful habits. By envisioning the next phase of her journey and embracing obstacles constructively, she will gain confidence in her ability to recover and move forward.
7. Sustaining change
Strengthening these accomplishments is crucial to ensuring their long-term sustainability after overcoming the difficulties of the postpartum period and forming new habits. This can be achieved by identifying the maintenance factors that will support her changes and anticipating risk situations that could cause her to revert.
In addition to maintaining the support of her loved ones by continuing to communicate her needs and routinely seeking assistance, it is essential to identify and sustainably mobilize both internal and external resources, such as stress management strategies. To implement preventive measures for self-care and staying on course, it is also important to address risk factors that could destabilize her, such as excessive fatigue or relationship conflicts.
Incorporating new behaviors into daily routines and turning them into habits will increase their likelihood of long-term sustainability. Occasionally, reminding oneself of the driving forces behind these changes can be just as crucial.
8. Growth in self-efficacy
Recognizing her past accomplishments and the tools she used to achieve them can help a woman identify her strengths, develop a positive self-image, and gain the confidence to act in ways that align with her goals. Positive affirmations like "I am creative, and I always find solutions" can also be used to reinforce these strengths.
Rather than treating each "failure" as a strict performance setback, normalizing these experiences will allow her to build confidence in her ability to grow and learn.
Personal fulfillment after children
Becoming a mother prompts existential reflection and questions about one's own fulfillment and new purpose in life. To define the parameters of a fulfilled existence that align with their new identity as mothers, many women feel the need to reconnect with their own goals and envision their future. To stay on track over the long run and give meaning to life beyond the role of motherhood, it is essential to reconnect with one’s core values.
Reconnecting with our deepest desires and recognizing our hopes and objectives, even if they seem unattainable, can inspire us to take a different path. Cultivating self-confidence through self-expression, self-compassion, gratitude, and other previously discussed techniques can give you the freedom to truly thrive. Additionally, surrounding yourself with people who share your values and aspirations can boost your confidence and motivation, providing the inspiration and support needed to pursue your own path.
Leadership
Being a mother offers the chance to rediscover one's inner strength, unique abilities, and feminine leadership. In addition to being a fulfilled and inspirational woman, she is also a mother who leads by example, daring to be herself and inspiring her children.
Leadership is a way of being and doing that blends vulnerability with inner strength, listening with self-assertion, and tenderness with determination. By developing these qualities and embracing her full potential, a woman can become a positive role model for her children and society. She lays the foundation for authentic and inspiring leadership by rediscovering her deep identity, reconnecting with her core values and life mission, and daring to dream rather than endure.
This involves cultivating a relationship of kindness and trust with oneself, rather than questioning one's abilities, comparing oneself to others, or attempting to control everything. By learning to listen to herself, respect her boundaries, and celebrate her accomplishments, she fosters an inner security that radiates outward.
Developing emotional intelligence, empathy, and relational skills that inspire others is also supported by establishing genuine and nurturing relationships, stepping outside one’s comfort zone, embracing vulnerability, and expressing one’s needs. Lastly, honoring femininity in all its manifestations is another essential aspect of female leadership.
Developing embodied wisdom allows us to make sound decisions by reconnecting with our feminine cycle and paying attention to the signals from our body and intuition. Every woman has the ability to uplift others through her creativity, skills, knowledge, and sensitivity.
Read more from Sam Mishra
Sam Mishra, The Medical Massage Lady
Sam Mishra (The Medical Massage Lady), is a multi-award winning massage therapist, aromatherapist, accredited course tutor, oncology and lymphatic practitioner, trauma practitioner, breathwork facilitator, reiki and intuitive energy healer, transformational and spiritual coach and hypnotherapist. Her medical background as a nurse and a midwife, combined with her own experiences of childhood disability and abuse, have resulted in a diverse and specialised service, but she is mostly known for her trauma work. She is motivated by the adversity she has faced, using it as a driving force in her charity work and in offering the vulnerable a means of support. Her aim is to educate about medical conditions using easily understood language, to avoid inappropriate treatments being carried out and for health promotion purposes in the general public. She is also becoming known for challenging the stigmas in our society and pushing through the boundaries that have been set by such stigmas within the massage industry.
