• Last Mom Brain Holiday Tip: Take care of yourself!

    Last Mom Brain holiday tip: Take care of yourself! I filmed this last week, before everything with COVID started going really haywire (again). But I think the advice is even more important now, as moms are in overdrive—there’s the the holidays, kids being home because of COVID, and mounting anxiety over, well, everything. During the holiday break, it’s critical that…

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  • Mom Brain Holiday Tip #5: Set a (very loose) schedule

    As much as we often look forward to holiday breaks, they can be *very* anxiety-provoking for moms of young kids, who often find themselves staring down long, cold days without any schedule or plans. It can help to set a (loose and easily adjustable) schedule for each day, even if the schedule looks something like: Wake up, eat breakfast, take…

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  • Mom Brain Holiday Tip #4: Make sure to delegate!!!

    Attention moms! You are NOT the only one who can make the holidays magical for your kids! Make sure you delegate holiday responsibilities so that other family members are doing their share. Play to everyone’s respective strengths when dividing tasks…and be aware that your family members might not do things exactly as you would! But that’s ok-it’s a small price…

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  • Mom Brain Holiday Tip #3: Think about the worst-case scenario

    What if I can’t find my kid that toy they desperately want? What if I run out of time to turn my house into a Winter Wonderland? What if I can’t manage to get my holiday cards sent out? These types of worries often send my mom patients into a holiday anxiety tailspin. In response, I ask them to consider…

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  • Mom Brain Holiday Tip #1: Overwhelmed? Try this!

    Overwhelmed this holiday season? Try what we call graded task assignment in CBT, which means breaking big tasks down into smaller steps. Make a list of the things you need to get done. This includes gift shopping, house cleaning, food prep, packing for travel, etc. Break the list down into several discrete, manageable steps, and assign yourself (and your family…

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  • Stay tuned for weekly Mom Brain holiday coping videos!

    The holidays are *so hard,* especially this year, when moms are feeling pressure to make up for last year’s disappointments. I devote a whole chapter of Mom Brain to holidays and special events, and will be sharing some of my coping strategies in short weekly holiday coping videos starting Monday. Please reach out with any suggestions for issues you’d like…

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mom brain

Proven Strategies to Fight the Anxiety, Guilt, and Overwhelming Emotions of Motherhood—and Relax into Your New Self

About Me

I’m Ilyse Dobrow DiMarco, Ph.D., aka DrCBTMom. DrCBTMom.com combines the expert advice of a self-help book with the warmth and readability of a mommy blog.
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