It can be easy to get caught in negative thought patterns when experiencing infertility. To have an unfilled desire to have a child, or to even have a “normal” menstrual cycle, may feel alienating and uncover a host of feelings and emotions. If this is true for you, it is especially important to work at healing and decluttering the mind to improve overall and fertility health. Having a healthy mind and a positive outlook not only helps the body heal, but creates space to be open to and receiving of a new life.
“If your mind carries a heavy burden of past, you will experience more of the same. The past perpetuates itself through lack of presence. The quality of your consciousness at this moment is what shapes the future.” ― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
Cognitive (mental) therapies help to teach self-efficacy to be able to deal with the emotional part of infertility – the worry about what happened in the past and about what could happen in the future. The past, whether good or bad has shaped you, but is gone. It is very helpful to learn mindfulness skills to shift the mind’s focus toward the positive strides you have made (no matter how great or small), what you have to being thankful for and for the ability to experience another day.
Here are 5 easy ways to teach yourself to adopt a more positive way of thinking:
1. Mantras: A mantra is a sound, word, or phrase used to encourage concentration and shift the focus of the mind. Mantras are helpful in times of stress, especially on difficult days. They are a very useful tool to help you stay positive when worry creeps in. Here is a guide to teach you how to create positive mantras in four easy steps…
2. Meditation: To meditate means to focus one’s mind, to think deeply, for a period of time, often in silence or with a mindful guide. Many associate meditation with a religious or spiritual practice, but it doesn’t have to be, it is a simple method of relaxation. It is best to allow 20 minutes to sit quietly first thing in the morning and then again mid-afternoon before the busyness of the evening begins. Our Positive Daily Fertility Meditation is a wonderful place to get started!
3. Visualization & Guided Imagery: There is an art to imagining or forming a mental image and visualizing a desired outcome. Learning to do so is known to improve mood, and promote relaxation and physical wellbeing. Circle + Bloom is one well-known, easy program that utilizes visualization through the body’s natural reproductive cycle fluctuations in roughly 15 minutes each day.
4. Mindfulness: Mindfulness is an awareness, both inside and out, of what is happening as it’s happening. This “what” can be anything from a physical experience or sensation, to a thought or emotion. Being mindful helps one engage in moment-to-moment living. Through daily, routine practice, you can transform disruptive emotions, decrease the occurrence of depression and be present in the moment. According to Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapist Mark Williams, practicing mindfulness may be as effective as antidepressants.
5. Set Intentions & Listen to Your Intuition: Intentions are positive, meaningful, personal statements that sum up what you intend to do today. Take 5 minutes every morning upon waking or with your morning tea to set your fertility intention for the day. A very helpful intention-setting tool our team appreciates is the 5 Minute Journal. Record your fertility intention, positive thoughts, and that which you are grateful for each day. Intentions are powerful when they are taken seriously. Mean what you say! Listen to your intuition when setting intentions as well. Trust your instincts. Start simple and with small intentions at first to prove to yourself you can do it.
We have seen profound healing and pregnancy result from natural fertility programs that focus just as much on shifting thoughts from negative to positive, as focusing on the health of the physical body. Mental and emotional health have a great impact on fertility health. I hope to have shared some easy to utilize tools to help you transform your thoughts! Peace!
- Galhardo, A., Cunha, M., & Pinto-Gouveia, J. (2013). Mindfulness-Based Program for Infertility: Efficacy study. Fertility and Sterility, 100(4), 1059-1067. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.05.036. Retrieved from: https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(13)00646-8/fulltext
- Rodriguez, H. (n.d.). Mind and Body Therapies for Fertility. Retrieved from: http://natural-fertility-info.com/mind-and-body-therapies-for-fertility.html
- Rodriguez, J. 14. personal communication.
- Williams, M. Mindfulness Summit Day 1 of the 31 Day Mindfulness Challenge. Retrieved from: http://themindfulnesssummit.com/
Elizabeth Willett is the Senior Herbalist and Lead Educator at NaturalFertilityInfo.com. She holds a BS in Mass Communications (2000) from Minnesota State University, and a Master of Arts degree (MA, 2010) in Holistic Health Studies with a specialization is herbalism from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN. Liz has written over 200 articles on women’s fertility and brings a vast wealth of knowledge and expertise in holistic health and healing to Natural Fertility Info.com
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