Navigating Mother’s Day: Emotional Wellness for Moms in Every Season
Mother’s Day is a beautiful celebration for many, but it can also be an emotionally complex day — especially for new moms, moms navigating postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and those coping with birth trauma or loss. As a perinatal mental health therapist, I often hear clients share mixed emotions about this holiday, and it’s important to honor them all.
Why Mother’s Day Can Be Triggering
For many moms, Mother’s Day can stir up feelings of joy, gratitude, grief, and overwhelm — sometimes all at once. Here’s why:
Postpartum mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts can feel magnified on emotionally loaded days.
Moms with birth trauma or difficult postpartum experiences may feel disconnected from the “perfect motherhood” narrative.
Those grieving a loss — whether of a child, their own mother, or the motherhood experience they imagined — often struggle in silence.
Moms with complicated family dynamics might feel pressure to “keep it together” or show up in ways that feel emotionally draining.
Emotional Wellness Tips for Mother’s Day
If Mother’s Day feels tender this year, you’re not alone. Here are a few ways to care for your emotional health:
Set boundaries around family gatherings or social media scrolling. It’s okay to say no.
Plan ahead for how you want to spend the day — whether that’s being surrounded by loved ones or taking a quiet moment alone.
Give yourself permission to feel whatever comes up. There’s no “right way” to experience Mother’s Day.
Practice grounding techniques like deep breathing, mindfulness, or a short nature walk.
Reach out to your support network — friends, your partner, a therapist, or online communities for moms.
Acknowledge and honor losses you’ve experienced, whether recent or long ago.
When to Reach Out for Support
If you notice persistent sadness, anxiety, irritability, or intrusive thoughts, it may be time to connect with a maternal mental health therapist. Postpartum depression and anxiety disorders are highly treatable, and no one should have to struggle alone.
