Mindset and Your Fertility Health

One study reported that women with infertility report elevated levels of anxiety and depression, so infertility causes additional stress compared to fertile individuals. Patients who are struggling to conceive report feelings of depression, anxiety, isolation, and loss of control.² These feelings are normal and valid; no one should feel ashamed, guilty, or embarrassed about having difficulty getting pregnant. Feeling disappointed and sad when things are not going as we want them to is natural.

However, feelings of depression, anxiety, isolation, and loss of control can trigger a downward spiral. A study found that psychological symptoms negatively impact fertility.² Research shows that when a woman is undergoing assisted reproductive treatment, both partners are likely to experience psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety. While this is more frequent among the woman undergoing the treatment, it affects men too.³

Communicating with your doctor about your physical health is important, equally, you must talk about your mental health too. A survey of 414 women reported that their doctors only asked them about their mental health one-third of the time.³ Sometimes your mental state gets pushed aside when doctors focus solely on your physical health. Talking about and treating physical symptoms can seem more straightforward, for both doctor and patient. When it comes to your fertility, it is important to take care of both your physical and mental.

Here are a few tips to help to improve your mindset.

• Be open with your doctor. They may not ask you directly about your mental health, but don’t be hesitant to update them so they can connect you with the appropriate resources.
• If you are struggling to maintain a positive mindset, try to take a few minutes out of your day to centre yourself and focus on being mindful.
• This can include taking some deep breaths, writing in a journal, or thinking of 3 things to be thankful for.
• Be mindful and positive as much as you can. While the path to fertility can be frustrating, difficult, and even heartbreaking, don’t give up! A more positive mindset leads to less stress.
• Find support groups (see more about support here).
• Try using an app to help you develop mindfulness or meditation.

A healthy and positive mindset means that you can deal with stress and anxiety more easily. It doesn’t mean that you won’t experience those negative feelings and emotions, but that you will be more resilient and recover from them more quickly. Having a healthy mindset will improve your path to fertility. Other pieces of the fertility jigsaw will contribute to supporting your healthy mindset, for example, Exercise and Movement and Support may be key to helping your overall mindset.