In these uncertain and very worrying times, it is easy to give in to the anxiety that surrounds us regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Everywhere we turn, every news bulletin we watch, every conversation we have with loved ones, we are all consumed with panic.

But during these times, it is also vital that we find solace somehow in our sacred spaces; in our homes. Although it may not seem logical for us to be consistently optimistic right now, given how this pandemic is quite literally changing the world as we know it. We believe that if we have been able to get through wars, unrest, fears, and have overcome the worst scenarios globally, that we will get through this together in unity; as a global force of love.

Self-isolation, although it may cause anguish at times, is a perfect time to go within and to reflect on your past, present, and future self. In a world that never stops, where we always feel like we never have a moment to breathe, we finally have stillness, where the world has quite literally stopped for us all.

We feel it is, therefore, important to share with you ten ways that you can carve out time for yourself to focus on bringing abundance, gratitude, and self-healing to the forefront of your mind. This is so that when you are ready to continue with your Fertility Journey, you are in the right head-space to do so:

Start an Abundance Journal:

 We receive what we put out into this world. And we seem to forget this in times of acute stress in our daily lives. We shut everything out and only focus on that stress-trigger instead of taking a step back and appreciating the abundance that surrounds us every moment of every day. 

Create an Abundance Journal, where daily you create (or search for online) soul-lifting affirmations that you repeat to yourself every day as many times as possible.

Examples could be:

  1. “I willingly release old-thinking patterns based on fear and self-doubt that no longer serve me. I allow new ones in, based on love and self-confidence.”
  2. “Loving energy surrounds my womb.”
  3. “I trust my body.”

Practice Gratitude Daily: 

Often when stuck in our stressful environments or thoughts, we tend to focus on what we don’t have and forget to be grateful for what we DO have. So every morning, as you wake, take note of everything that surrounds you:

  • It could be taking note of birds singing outside your window
  • Or how the sun streams through your bedroom window each morning wrapping its sun-rays around you
  • Or basking in breathtaking sunsets in the evenings

Whatever it may be, find at least ten things every day that you are grateful for. Another great way to practice gratitude is to reach out to 2-3 loved ones a day to tell them how much you love and appreciate them.

Practice Meditation and Mindfulness:

Practising mindfulness and the art of meditation can help to reduce levels of stress and anxiety and can promote conception. Mindfulness and meditation are two techniques that affect your mood and how you feel about yourself and help to improve your mental wellbeing.

 If you are new to meditation, there are some fantastic apps out there to suit both the novice or expert when it comes to finding stillness within.

We recommend Insight Timer – which is a free app with guided meditations by the world’s top meditation experts, neuroscientists, psychologists, and teachers from Stanford, Harvard, the University of Oxford, to mention but a few.

Practice Yoga:

Yoga has been shown to promote general relaxation and reduce anxiety, stress, and depression. Fertility Yoga (FY) can regulate hormonal imbalances, increase circulation and stimulation of both female and male reproductive organs.

There are lovely Fertility Yoga channels on YouTube that you can search for; we recommend BrettLarkinYoga.

 If you would prefer a 1:1 Yoga Coach, we work closely with Harriet Came from Bloom Yoga, who specialises in pre/post-natal yoga. Her focus is to inform and influence through her teachings; working to show how conscious breathing, specific yoga postures and techniques can help enhance pregnancy and help birth and post-natal recovery.

Keep Moving:

Move. Even if you only have 20 minutes in a day for a workout.

Exercise, even a short session, shoots up your endorphin levels (happy hormones). When it comes to fertility-boosting practice, low to moderate exercise is best.

Vigorous exercise has been known to add stress to your body, which, of course, is the last thing you need when going through fertility treatment.

Ideas for your perfect fitness schedule is as follows:

  1. Keep a fitness journal where you can hold yourself accountable for your exercise schedule per week, but also so that you can dedicate certain days to yoga and meditation too
  2. There are plenty of workouts online that you can research, to do at home with no equipment, using just your body. You can adjust the workout according to your capabilities and or intent

An example of a weekly fitness regime could be:

  • Daily Meditation sessions of 10 minutes – either first thing in the morning or just before bedtime
  • Two Yoga sessions per week (e.g., Monday and Wednesday)
  • Three moderate workouts per week (e.g., Tuesday, Thursday Saturday)
  • One active-recovery day (e.g., Sunday for stretching/walking/gardening)

Eat Food Made With Love:

It is so important to nourish your body with nutritious whole and natural foods. So make sure you eat food made with LOVE!

 By this, we mean cooking food from scratch and being connected with the food that you are cooking and consuming.

 Our tips are as follows:

  1. While trying to conceive focus on your eating habits and start eliminating unhealthy eating habits
  2. Stay clear of processed or pre-cooked meals from supermarkets that are mass-produced, full of artificial ingredients and almost always loaded with too much salt
  3. Increase your intake of fruit, raw vegetables, organic proteins and avoid wheat and man-made products that have very little nutritional value to them

Having a relationship with your food and your body are the first steps to creating harmony within, starting with your hormonal balance.

Yolandi Rademeyer is our Prenatal Dietitian, who works closely with our patients. Her primary focus is on women’s health. She states that food, nutraceuticals (medical-grade nutrients/supplements), and hormonal health are vital for women’s overall health and fertility. Yolandi runs regular online workshops offering advice and support, from preconception to postpartum.

De-Clutter Your Home:

Nothing brings peace to the mind, quite like de-cluttering your home. Use this time to go through every single cupboard, drawer, every nook, and cranny and get rid of things that no longer serve you. 

We tend to hang onto things that are “sentimental,” but we need to love and release what is not part of our journey anymore. As we let go of the old, we allow the new to enter our lives.

Please make sure that you donate old clothes or furniture to those in need where possible.

 De-Clutter Your Mind

 Just as de-cluttering our homes brings peace to the mind, de-cluttering the mind brings happiness to the soul. Start making choices about your life that will assist you with removing unnecessary stress, so that you can think more clearly and have peace-of-mind. 

Ideas could be:

  • Remove yourself from Social Media for a while. We get too consumed by what others are doing instead of focusing on where we are at in our own lives. And it can cause depression thinking others’ lives are more fulfilled than our own – when really – we are just staring at a picture that is meaningless in the bigger scheme of things
  • Move away from toxic relationships – only allow people into your circle that bring positive and loving energies to the table. Remove people that do not bring joy to your life every day
  • Create a plan to get rid of long-standing debt; seek assistance from a Finance Advisor or speak to your bank about assisting you with a payment plan. Whatever you need to do, get rid of debt.

Reach Out To Loved Ones Every Day:

Everybody, on any given day, is dealing with something. Sending someone a text message or a voice note to a loved one affirming your love for them will not only surprise them and bring them joy, but it will fill their heart with love. Kindness doesn’t cost you anything except a moment in time.

Continue Researching Your Fertility Treatment Journey:

Although for many, fertility journeys have unfortunately had to be postponed for now, doesn’t mean you cannot continue with your research and seek advice from Fertility Specialists.

We may be in LOCK-DOWN, but this doesn’t mean you have to lose hope. Plan your treatment schedule for when everything goes back to normal so that we can all hit the ground running when the time comes.

HART Fertility Clinic might be shut for the time being, but we are still working hard behind the scenes every day and are on hand to answer any questions you may have about your treatment plan.

Just know that we are here for you every step of the way x