Promoting Hope & Wellbeing

Hope and Wellbeing

When trying to conceive, there can be ongoing cycles of hope, and despair, that sometimes last months or even years.

The emotional rollercoaster can make it more difficult to remain hopeful and keep believing that pregnancy will happen.

Often, it can feel like infertility has taken over several aspects of life, and it’s difficult to balance wellbeing.

Psychologists think that wellbeing comes from living a life with a balance of activities that give you feelings of pleasure, achievement, and closeness.

We are likely to feel out of balance when we face situations that are:

• Ambiguous: open to different interpretations
• Novel and new: we don’t have previous experience with
• Unpredictable: unclear how things will turn out

How do I know if I'm out of balance?

• Emotional symptoms: disconnected, unable to find joy and happiness, having worried thoughts, ruminating thoughts or catastrophizing thoughts (believing the worst will happen).
• Physical symptoms: problems sleeping, eating, with body posture, tense muscles.

Regaining wellbeing

Engaging in activities that give a sense of pleasure, achievement and connection can help you nurture your wellbeing and regain balance.

• Pleasure: read a book, watch a comedy movie, dancing
• Achievement: housework, decorating, gardening, trying a new recipe
• Connection: social media, phone, video calls, coffee with friends