To Mom, From Mom: Meet Andra Liemandt
We bring everything we are into our roles as moms – our strengths, our challenges, our vulnerabilities. This Mother’s Day, we talked with a few of our favorite moms about their own mental health journeys, stories that we hope will inspire you as you navigate your own.
What's one thing you want to share with other moms?
Kindness is a ripple effect, and it starts with you. If we can internalize beautiful thoughts and kind thoughts to ourselves, it just ripples down and trickles down to all those that we love, starting with our family.
How did becoming a mother change you?
Becoming a mom changed me probably in every way. It started with the way that I wanted to think about myself and how I wanted to move through this world, right? And the things I wanted to produce, the things I wanted to put into the world, and really how I wanted to leave the world. It’s been a beautiful journey having my daughters here with me. They’re like little mirrors... I look at them and I think of a reflection of all that I put out into the world. How does that look, how does it feel, what does it sound like? I want to make sure as I’m doing things, as I’m saying things, and as I’m reflecting, that I put goodness into the world.
Fill in the blank: Motherhood is ________.
Motherhood is both joyful and deeply challenging, and something that I’m so grateful I get to be a part of.
What advice do you have for other mamas embarking on motherhood or perhaps exploring their own mental health journey?
My best advice is to just start.
You can start with small things, and know that there are lots of options. I had a friend recently reach out and say, “I have so much anxiety right now. What can I do?” Good news: everybody can start with breathing techniques. But you can also look online, and seek out the support that’s a good fit for you.
One of the other things that’s important to me around mental health is finding people that you trust. Always reach out to someone, don’t do it alone. Trying to normalize this conversation is what I seek to do, because we are not isolated from what’s happening with one another. Everyone today is going through something. We’ve all been experiencing significant challenges this past year. So, know that you’re not alone, that there are tons of tools and resources out there, and that you can aim for just one thing. Pick something, call a friend, and ask for help.
Do you have a tribe you lean on for support across your motherhood journey? What’s the importance of your tribe and how have they helped you overcome some struggles, and/or how do you help them?
I couldn’t be the mom I am today without my friends. And, I include my mom in that tribe! We lean on each other so much. We see where we need each other to lean in, dig in, and really be there to support. This has been a year where we’ve all had to lean in, AND know how to support.
But beyond this year – in fact, I'd say for the past 20-plus years – my tribe and I have raised our kids together, we’ve learned parenting strategies that work, don’t work, all of those things. I think it’s really important if you’re a new mom, or if you’re in the throes of whatever state of momhood you’re in, to find those who can help guide you. Whether it’s a tribe, or one friend, or even your own mom!
Lean in to being open. It starts with you, learning how to be vulnerable, and how to say what your needs are. How to allow them to support you. And that’s really what’s been so special about my friends, that we’ve all been able to say: “I need help, and this is how. And if you can do these three things for me, then I feel like I can make it through tomorrow.” And sometimes it’s just someone sending a quick text, “I’m thinking about you today, and I see you.” My tribe has done that for me.