Self-care is the practice of looking after and prioritising own mental and physical well-being. It is especially important during your fertility journey as it can be a highly stressful time. A high level of stress can be harmful to your overall well-being and may hinder your conception.

Build a strong support system

It is easy to feel completely alone during fertility struggles but it is important to know that you are not alone and also important that you don't go through it alone. Having a strong support system can help you cope throughout your journey, whether that be your partner, family or friends. A small but strong support system who understand your boundaries and feelings is crucial. In order to feel less alone in your experiences you can look to people who have been through a similar experience. 

Practice mindfulness 

Infertility may cause great uncertainty which makes it easy to become preoccupied with worry about the future, the past and anything but the present. Mindfulness is a practice where you focus on being aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the present moment.

There are several mindfulness exercises like visualisation, deep breathing and keeping a journal that can help you stay in the moment. These activities can help you relax, boost your overall mood, and return blood pressure, heart rate, digestive function, and hormonal levels to their normal state. 

Why not have a bath with our Restore & Renew aromatherapy bath oil. There’s nothing quite like sinking into the comforting and calming warmth of a bath to sooth your mind and body.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle

There’s a relationship between physical and emotional health, known as the mind-body connection. Eating a nutrient-rich diet, exercising, and getting enough sleep can improve your overall mood and physical well-being.  

Check out our blog on how a meditteranean diet can help increase the success of IVF. 

But often diet alone is not enough to get all the nutrients you need. Check out Zita's webinar with nutritionist Rebecca Traylen where they discuss how your body can be affected by certain dietary and lifestyle factors and how best to manage and improve your overall health to prepare you for IVF. They also cover reading and understanding nutritional information on supplements, how to choose the most effective supplement and key nutrients to include for IVF.

Do what you love

Fertility struggles can feel all consuming in your daily life. It is important that you don't neglect the activities that bring you joy and help you cope with stress. If you’re struggling to get motivated, make a list of activities you enjoy and start small. Maybe your support system can join you in doing activities you love.