How Motherhood Has Changed How I Approach Anxiety

Before I dive in, I want to be really honest. I’ve never been a kid person. Actually, when I was in my twenties I always said that I would never have children. After really talking and thinking it through, my husband and I both landed on the desire to have one child.

Adam and I both love to travel, spend lots of time adventuring, and are a bit ‘financially conscious’ to say the least. To be a little more blunt, we both want to see the world, do fun stuff, and spend our money and time on things other than kid stuff! And you know what, that’s okay! It’s okay not to have kids. It’s okay to only have one kid. It’s okay if you want to have five kids! Having children or not having children is absolutely your choice.

There was also another big factor for both of us - our mental health! I struggled with anxiety, panic disorder, and agoraphobia for 15 years, and Adam is a bit of a worrier. The reality is, having a child is overwhelming at times, and it changes every aspect of your life. And it definitely challenges your mental health! So for us, only having one child just makes sense.

Knowing who you are and what’s important to you is a good thing, and there’s never any reason to be embarrassed or ashamed by it.

When people say that you can’t prepare yourself for motherhood, there’s a whole lot of truth to it. There are so many challenges, highs, and lows, and things that you never would have imagined yourself having to figure out. But, there’s also a whole l