About Jessica Claire Haney & her Blog
Jessica Claire is a winner of Top 25 Mental Wellness Blogs by Moms
What mental wellness or mental health issues do you blog about?
My blog covers all issues related to health and well-being from a holistic standpoint. I see mental wellness as intimately connected with physical wellness, so there are lots of posts related to the mind-body connection. Having previously benefited from anti-depressant medication, I now have such a sensitive system (because of other health issues) that I need to find natural ways to stay mentally healthy. Additionally, I believe that depression is usually the symptom of something off in the body that can probably be addressed through nutrition, holistic medicine, and lifestyle. The problem is that this kind of approach takes a lot of time, something moms rarely have! As a result, I frequently blog about the balancing act of taking care of myself so that I can take care of my kids.
My family history of depression (including a brother's suicide) often comes into play in my thinking about health and in my writing. And postpartum health is a big topic lately!
If you could give other moms one tip on mental wellness, what would it be?
Look at your diet. If there is a lot of sugar or even just a lot of carbs and not enough healthy fats and proteins, it will be almost impossible to get to a good place. Make sure you never eat any kind of sugar -- even fruit -- without some kind of fat to lessen the impact on your blood sugar. Sleep goes along with this because if we are not getting good sleep in the night, our bodies don't make the right chemicals at the right times, and that often ends up leading to sugar cravings. It's a vicious cycle! Moms are often so depleted in our adrenal health, living in fight-or-flight most of the time instead of only in times of crisis. Sleep is a huge necessity, and the earlier you can get to bed (ideally by 9:00), the better so that your body can do its detox and cleansing functions in the wee hours. Also be sure to check your thyroid, which can impact mood greatly and easily get off kilter if you are prone to it and are not sleeping well.
What mental wellness resources would you recommend for moms? (Support systems, specific websites...)
Make sure your diet is nourishing and nurturing. Find a creative outlet - writing, drawing, singing, crafting. Do something that makes your body feel good -- yoga is great, but jog if that's your thing or get on a team if that works for you.
Take time for yourself, but connect with other moms, too!
Holistic Moms Network -- http://www.holisticmoms.org/
Mothering.com -- http://mothering.com/
And check out these nutrition and holistic health resources:
The Mood Cure by Julia Ross -- http://www.moodcure.com/
Gut and Psychology Syndrome -- http://gapsdiet.com/
Specific Carbohydrate Diet -- http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/
The Body Ecology Diet -- http://bodyecology.com/
The Weston A. Price Foundation -- http://www.westonaprice.org/
Emotional Freedom Technique -- http://www.eftuniverse.com/
Bach Flower Essences -- http://www.bachflower.com/
Natural Parents Network -- http://naturalparentsnetwork.com/
What are your favorite blog posts?
