Practical Tools for Coping in Times of Crisis

 Three Practical Tools for Releasing Stress and Strengthening Emotional Resilience in Times of Crisis

Are you pregnant? Postpartum? Have you given birth?

Pregnancy and postpartum is a long period full of uncertainty.

This is a challenging and sensitive time that can bring up many difficult emotions: restlessness, irritability, difficulty understanding yourself or communicating with those around you, struggles with daily functioning, and fears or concerns about childbirth and what comes after.

Our natural tendency is to focus on what’s difficult or missing.

When uncertainty from external crisis, such as we have been in since October 7th 2023, leading to the current escalation with Iran has added to this already overwhelming experience, emotions like sadness, frustration, and fear can become so intense that you feel numb or paralyzed.

With this in mind, we decided to pause and write this guide for you.

We want to offer you three practical tools to help you pause, listen inwardly, and acknowledge how you’re truly doing in the midst of everything going on.

These tools will help you get out of the emotional whirlpool and reconnect with parts of yourself that bring calm, expansion, and strength.

Tool 1: Clearing Space (Mental and Emotional)

This is a simple technique to create space inside you:

• Find a quiet corner.

• Take sticky notes (or a notebook if that’s all you have).

• Write down everything on your mind—feelings, worries, tasks—one item per note.

• Don’t filter or overthink. Just let it flow.

• After writing, pause and observe the notes. What stands out most?

• Choose one topic that needs your attention and set it aside.

• Organize the rest however feels right—by urgency or intensity.

• Focus on the chosen note and jot down helpful actions or thoughts.

• Just by acknowledging what’s overwhelming you, you’ve cleared space inside to breathe and focus.

Tool 2: Emotional Imagery

This exercise helps us identify our root feeling. Sometimes emotions are so overwhelming we are not sure what we are actually feeling. We can disrupt our automatic thought loops using imagery:

• Sit in a quiet spot.

• Think about the emotion you’re feeling right now, not in general.

• Find an image that represents that feeling (e.g., "I’m in a vault and can’t remember the code to get out").

• Ask yourself: is this the accurate image? Adjust if needed.

• Once you’ve found the right image, you may feel a release—your body relaxes, maybe even a sigh escapes.

If you can’t find an image, that’s okay!

Try this instead:

• Grab a nearby book.

• Open it randomly.

• Copy a paragraph.

• Reflect: how does this connect to your current emotion?

This can help clarify and name the feeling, which leads to emotional release.

Tool 3: “I Give Thanks” – Daily Gratitude Practice

Gratitude fosters happiness and helps us focus on the good. When you consistently acknowledge what’s positive, however small or insignificant it might seem you can watch your mindset shift!

Here’s how:

• Take a notebook and title it "Gratitude for the Small Things I Have."

• Set a regular time (morning with coffee, in the car, or before bed).

• Write 2–3 things you’re grateful for daily (e.g., your partner, your kids, your car).

It might be hard to keep up at first, but soon it becomes second nature. You’ll begin to notice moments of grace throughout your day.

Try a gratitude circle with your kids—ask each child to name one thing they’re thankful for at the dinner table, or before bed. This habit fosters faith, confidence, and a positive outlook in the whole family.

At MyMiyaledet Prenatal Clinic we focus on women’s emotional and mental wellbeing the same way we focus on the baby’s wellbeing. A coping, calm mother sets the tone in the house. In our clinic we offer birth processing workshops faciltated by Dena Weinstein. Dena was trained by Birth Oriented Thinking B.O.T. - a communication and emotional processing approach to pregnancy and birth. She also offers empowerment workshops for women in the field of pregnancy and childbirth.

This guide was made by Dena Weinstein and Yafi Shofel midwives and B.O.T Facilitators