In this week's podcast, I interview author and life coach, Adacelis Pérez. This delightful mamacita from Puerto Rico shares her journey. A mother's fight to overcome depression and anxiety while navigating thru divorce and illness. It's an honest and open conversation about the challenges of motherhood and an invitation to seek out a more mindful and intentional connection with our children.

I trust this episode will bring hope to any mamacita feeling anxious during motherhood. In addition, I hope it sheds some light on the taboo subjects of anxiety and depression. My wish for you is peace of mind, mamacita. We live in fast paced digital age where people portray perfect images of themselves all over social media. This leads a lot of women to feeling unhappy as they erroneously wonder why they're the only ones feeling down.

But the truth is that no one leads a perfect life and you are not alone. We all carry burdens. Life is filled with ups and downs… the peaks and the valleys.

It's all nice and dandy when we're on top of the hill, but seen from below, life can seem scary and lonely. However, anxiety can be a wake up call for new beginnings and an invitation to new habits… perhaps a reconnection to nature and your higher self.

The Gift of Presence

This return to simplicity can help appease anxiety and increase our sense of well being. This is the journey into mindfulness where you can rekindle your relationship with not only your inner child but your actual children.

Children give you the gift of presence and possibility. They have not yet been tainted by the constraints and prejudices of society. Moreover, they can show you how to relinquish the past and trust in the future because they live in neither of those mental spaces. Thus ,they offer you the gift of the present.

Mindfulness and Motherhood

In her book, Anxious Mom, Anxious Child: A Mother's Journey From Anxiety to Serenity, Ada Pérez shares her journey about overcoming depression and anxiety. It's a story many women can relate to as she is honest in her portrayal of how difficult it is to juggle both motherhood and a professional career.

In addition, she shares her hardships in managing all of this while going thru a divorce and battling illness.

However, my favorite thing about the book is the way Ada is able to bring you into her mind. It's almost like you step into her head and hear the unedited flood of thoughts that are driving her crazy from moment to moment. This is what made me connect to her experience and really sense… man, we are not alone in our craziness. LOL. Or, as Ada puts it, the tendency we have to default into “monkey mind”.

I invite you to listen to the podcast and read the book for yourself. Or perhaps, give the book as a gift to a single mother struggling with depression and anxiety.

One walks away with possibility and ideas to help connect with one's children at a deeper level. In addition, Ada helps the reader identify how anxiety may be manifesting itself in one's life so one can better address it.

Let me know your thoughts after listening to the episode.

Leave a comment below and join our meaningful conversation regarding motherhood, anxiety and mindfulness.  ⬇️😉
 
Remember, don't be mama con drama. Let's be Mamas Con Ganas!

💃🏽💃🏿💃🏻💃🏼💃🏾

Xoxo,

😘😘😘

Valentina

#InspiredMamacita

P.S. If you struggle with overcoming anxiety know that I'm praying for you. I created Mamas Con Ganas so we can all feel a little bit more connected and not have to shy away from raw and vulnerable topics.

P.P.S. If you want to connect with Ada here is her link.

P.P.P.S A while ago I also wrote my experience on overcoming the pregnancy blues. Here's the link to that just in case you know of someone going thru depression during pregnancy.