There is an emotional experience of motherhood that can feel dark, angry, exhausting, hopeless. Some of us even experience postpartum depression or other hormonal imbalances that impact our emotional experience. 

Is joy still available to us in these really tough times? Does joy mean I'm always happy? Does joy mean it comes easy? Can I find joy in things OUTSIDE of motherhood?

 

 

This is my conversation with Jenna about these topics.

Jenna is a mom of two (with one on the way) and she hosts The Joy Filled Podcast. She started a podcast to give her a gathering place and build community as she shares her real-time story of walking in joy amongst her struggles with PPD after her firstborn.

 

Joy filled motherhood

Topics we covered in this episode:

 

Postpartum depression in motherhood

looking back and recognizing postpartum depression in yourself

seeing when something is 'off' and 'not me' 

learning from PPD and deciding what you want to do differently 

doing the work of keeping your peace and joy

 

The damage of the cultural message that "motherhood is bliss"

struggling to connect with our new babies

this creates a stigma around the other end of the spectrum that motherhood is hard and we do get angry

 

Joy filled motherhood vs happy motherhood

feeling like joy is unavailable to us in motherhood

"joy isn't feeling happy, it isn't the absence of hard"

having hope and relying on God to find joy in motherhood

joyful vs joy-filled

not buying into the myth of being happy all the time, and that if you are happy you are doing it right

 

Getting rooted in joy amongst daily life of motherhood

not putting Jesus in a box of how it looks like to connect with him and rely on him

separating the feelings from the lies and getting recentered on what is true

having imperfect days

setting boundaries around our connection to our phones 

being present in parenting 

 

Struggling with hormonal imbalances and depression 

navigating a diagnosis and handling of depression, as a Christian woman

using resources and a community to support the journey of treating depression

the power of speaking our experience and having someone point out the lies we are stuck in

 

Doing things that light us up and make us feel joyful

the big things and the small things we could be doing that feel like an outlet

listening to who God made us to be so we still do things we are passionate about and don't lose our identity to motherhood

we are all creative in our own ways, it isn't just about art

being passionate gives us a sense of purpose and energizes us

what MLM has taught us about the desire to put our hand to something in addition to motherhood

motherhood being an important calling, but not the only one in our life

 

Practical ways to set boundaries between motherhood and work (and other pursuits)

setting boundaries around social media 

getting family/friend support

what it means to be a 'present mom'

setting a routine of independent play and work time for parents

spending proactive time with our kids 

using our time wisely and efficiently when we have time allocated for work 

 

WHERE TO FIND JENNA GRIFFITH

The Joy Filled Podcast

Jenna on Instagram