By Lara, foudner of MYND.FLO, an online wellness club that provides support for people TTC.
The hidden struggles of infertility
If you’ve been trying to get pregnant for over a year (or six months over the age of 35) with little success, then it’s likely that you’ll be familiar with the term ‘infertility‘, and the stress that comes with this chronic condition. Stress, which research has shown, is comparable to receiving a cancer diagnosis.
Despite its prevalence, infertility remains misunderstood and stigmatised. The diagnosis doesn’t automatically rule you out of childbirth (it’s different from being sterile), but it highlights that you’ve got something medically going on which is hindering your chances of having a baby.
For those who haven’t been through it, not having a baby might just seem like an unfulfilled wish or the medical treatment an unfortunate inconvenience. In reality, it’s much more than that. It’s a diagnosis that impacts every aspect of your life as you try to do what you can to improve your treatment success and avoid pouring more money down the drain with every failed treatment round.
Infertility can take over your life
From what you eat, the products you use, when and where you can go on holiday, your relationships, your finances, your career… there isn’t a part of your life that isn’t impacted. Resulting in you adapting and sacrificing in ways you never imagined. It’s a lifestyle overhaul, an emotional rollercoaster, and a test of resilience. Beyond the obvious physical challenges and medical side effects of treatments, infertility can weigh heavily on the mind.
Navigating repeated loss, lack of control and uncertainty about the future, juggling work alongside treatments, inequality in funding, financial worries, external stigma… it all adds up. So it’s no surprise those struggling to conceive have their resilience pushed to their limits.
When our resources (physical, social, psychological) are stretched to their limits, it can impact our well-being and ability to function at our best. For those experiencing infertility, unfortunately, this is a daily challenge that can go on for years.
Stretched resilience, combined with the side effects of medical treatments, sadly leaves too many of the 1 in 6 people navigating infertility struggling to cope or navigating mental health challenges such as anxiety or depression. This creates a compounded burden, which, more often than not, is a silent struggle.
If you’re reading this and it strikes a chord, know you are not alone. Getting an infertility diagnosis can be tough to navigate, but as you work with your doctor towards getting pregnant, know that there is also support out there to help your mind.
Why I set up an online wellness club
In my professional life, I work with organisations to help people, teams, and cultures thrive as a business psychologist (MSc). Supporting wellbeing is at the heart of what I do.
One principle that resonates deeply with me is the Conservation of Resources Theory. It highlights the importance of conserving what we have and gaining new resources to weather life’s challenges. After five years of trying to conceive (TTC), seeking IVF treatment for two, and approaching 40, it was about time I put theory into practice by taking a break from work to focus on my well-being.
During my time off, I found myself connecting with people online who were navigating similar fertility challenges. Despite the statistics, I quickly realised that most people felt they were navigating infertility/ IVF alone, with a distinct lack of support available for their emotional and mental well-being.
The world of fertility still holds many unknowns, and often, the outcome feels entirely beyond your control. But I’m a strong believer that when life gets tough, leaning into the right support can make all the difference. So, I decided to channel my energy into creating an online wellness club to share my story and support others navigating similar paths using my psychology background.
Welcome to Club MYND.FLO
MYND.FLO (pronounced mind flow) is an online wellness club that provides empowering support for the well-being of those on their TTC journey.
Born from the idea that ‘the mind isn’t fixed, it flows’ as we often experience lots of different thoughts, feelings, and emotions, all within the same day or even moment (and that is completely normal.)
We often talk about mindset, but our minds aren’t set in stone. Just like we exercise our muscles to stay strong, there are things we can do to empower our minds to make our fertility journeys slightly easier.
Wherever you are in the world, MYND.FLO is a space to help you find your tribe and get support at your fingertips. The support is based on three pillars:
- Restore – self-care and meditation techniques to fill your cup
- Empower – psychological tools to build confidence & resilience
- Connect – the power of community to nourish your soul
How MYND.FLO can support you?
Whether you’re looking for a friendly conversation with someone who knows what you are going through or you want some bespoke wellness support, there is something for everyone.
Support groups, events, wellness coaching, fertility mentoring, and peer support are all available, with the club regularly adapting to people’s wants and needs. This year, a podcast and coffee/tea meet-ups are being planned for extra support for those struggling to get or stay pregnant and/or navigating IVF.
A particularly difficult time to navigate when TTC is the Two Week Wait (TWW), so the FlowGlowSlow Method was developed to help support people through this challenging but exciting time. It combines cognitive behaviour psychology, positive psychology, journaling, meditations and more to help turn anxious waiting into fully embracing your TWW.
Here’s what others had to say about the FlowGlowSlow Method:
“It was good at helping me focus each day during my TWW instead of worry.”
“It helps you process your emotions and brings some joy to your TWW.”
“It provides really good support during a time when you need it the most.”
“Being able to meet people on a similar journey was very reassuring.”
“The meditations were so so useful.”
“The webinar is filled with lots of useful tips and ideas to help my TWW.”
How to get involved
Navigating infertility can be a long and lonely journey, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Follow @mynd.flo on Instagram for empowering wellbeing support and let’s do this together.
Sending love & hope,
Lara
xox
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