How to Cope With ADHD, Anxiety, & Depression as an Aries Single Mom

Quick Summary: As an Aries single mom living with ADHD, anxiety, and depression, I hope that by sharing my own personal stories, it will help empower and inspire others who are navigating similar situations. (Or if nothing else, you will at least be able to take a moment to breathe and giggle at my relatable ridiculousness. 😄)

By embracing our personal astrological traits, acknowledging our varying parenting (or simply, adult) responsibilities, and understanding our mental health challenges, we can find strength and resilience in our unique experiences. ♥︎

Navigating Life as an Aries Single Mom with Mental Health Challenges

Being an Aries comes with its own set of fiery and fierce traits—passion, determination, and an unrelenting urge for living life on the edge. However, as a single mom struggling with ADHD, anxiety, and depression, these characteristics can sometimes feel like double-edged swords. In this blog post, I want to share my journey of navigating motherhood while managing these unforgiving mental health challenges. My hope is that by sharing my relatable, messy life experiences, it will help validate your feelings and inspire you to embrace and be proud of your own unique life path, however mental and messy it may be. 🤗

The Boldness of Being an Aries

We Aries individuals are known for our undeniable boldness, honesty, and courage. We often dive into situations headfirst, driven by our enthusiasm and confidence. We are strong believers in the whole “better to ask for forgiveness later than to ask for permission now” idea. But when you’re a single mom dealing with ADHD, this impulsivity will most often lead to chaos and confusion, rather than calmness and clarity.

For instance, I remember one day last month where I felt particularly psychotic…🙃

…My kitchen filled with smoke from a burnt frozen pizza I put in the oven without ever remembering to set the damn timer; my teenage twin boys were both super cranky and hormonal thanks to puberty; and my never-ending list of important tasks was growing by the minute. My next step should’ve simply been to take a moment to breathe and prioritize my responsibilities—instead, I dove straight into organizing my living room (which wasn’t even remotely important compared to the other items on my to-do list, by the way, but My Brain = must.distract.from.anything.important. …because important=overwhelming, obviously 😵‍💫).

This resulted in half-organized piles of stuff from my living room now being scattered into more separate piles throughout my apartment instead of accomplishing something…ANYTHING…that truly needed to get done that day.

Embracing Imperfection

As an Aries who struggles everyday with anxiety and ADHD, I’ve learned over the years that perfection is not the goal—progress is. And baby steps are indeed progress! It’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to other moms who seem to have it all figured out, or people who appear to “have their shit all the way together”.

However, when I truly recognized that everyone we see (yes, everyone; especially the picture-perfect) is fighting unseen battles of their own, I decided to cut myself some slack, and to be more open and understanding of my own mental minefields.

I’ve embraced imperfection in both parenting and self-care routines. For example, instead of aiming for a spotless home every day (which only exacerbates my anxiety and deepens my depression when it hits), I’ve learned to celebrate the really small victories like just making it through our morning routines without losing my shit on someone over spilled orange juice, or having a movie night on the couch with my kids instead of stressing over their half-ass completed chores. 😬

Finding Support Within Your Community

One key aspect of navigating life as a mentally ill single mom is seeking support from those around us—whether it’s family members or friends who understand our struggles or online communities where we can connect with others facing similar challenges.

It doesn’t matter how many times a day you say to yourself, “I got this” or, “I don’t need any help, I’m good but thanks”—I’m here to remind you that sometimes you really don’t “got this” all by yourself, and that’s perfectly fine! No one is going to question or deny how powerful and independent of a person you are, if sometimes you reach out for a little much-needed assistance to help make life easier from time to time.

I first became a single mom right around the same time that I received my mental illness diagnoses, which was just…crazy. I felt so alone and isolated at times. Eventually, I utilized the many detailed search options on Psychology Today to find an amazing Psychiatrist that I’m able to visit with remotely via Zoom once a month, and ALSO a really great Therapist that I see in-person at an office located less than a mile away from my house. Joining online groups, specifically for single moms dealing with ADHD or anxiety, also has helped me realize I’m not alone in this war against my mind. Sharing stories about our daily difficulties fosters understanding and offers the validation and support we desire to receive.

Channeling Our Energy Positively

Aries energy is vibrant but can also lead to burnout if not channeled correctly. It’s essential for us as mothers—and especially those managing mental health challenges—to find healthy outlets for our emotions and unsettling feelings. We need positive coping mechanisms, otherwise it’s so scarily easy to fall into the habits that numb us like overindulgence in drugs, alcohol, sex, etc.

I discovered that physical activity works for me pretty well as a means of stress relief. Whether it’s going for random nature walks while listening to music or following along with my daily “Butt Workout” app sessions at home after my kids fall asleep–moving my body definitely does help clear my mind and boosts my mood in healthy, natural ways.

Moreover, creative outlets like Journaling and creating Vision Boards have been super helpful in processing the multitude of negative thoughts and feelings that flood my mind; especially about being a single mom with a whole plethora of mental health issues. Writing down any fears or frustrations allows me to release them in a healthy manner, rather than bottling them up inside—a common occurance that severely worsens and prolongs depressive episodes. Sometimes all you need to do to start feeling better mentally is carve out 2 hours of uninterrupted “me-time” to dress comfy, have a plate of your favorite snacks to munch on, and let your creative juices flow while you create something meaningful and beautiful for yourself. You deserve to celebrate yourself, as often as you like, and for any reason imaginable …please remember to keep that little tidbit of knowledge in the forefront of your mind, loves…for when life feels extra heavy and hard. ♥︎

Setting Boundaries

As fiery queens ruled by Mars—the planet associated with action, courage, and passion—it’s easy for us Aries ladies to take on entirely too much responsibility without realizing it, until our drowning in duties sinks us deep into overwhelm. Learning how to set boundaries has been transformative in managing both motherhood duties and personal mental wellness.

I knew it would be damn near impossible to get myself to stop answering “yes” 100% of the time, when 98% of the time I really just wanted to reply with a big resounding “hell no”. But sadly, I think I’m doomed to be a dedicated people-pleaser for life. So instead of “hell no”, I decided to start answering with “let me think about it” when friends or family asked me for favors, or whenever these seemingly mandatory “volunteering opportunities” arose at my sons’ school events—even if it meant disappointing someone else temporarily.

Prioritizing your peace isn’t selfish; it’s self-care at its finest! Setting boundaries gives me space not only physically but mentally too—allowing myself more time to better choose which chaos is actually worth my time.

Conclusion: Embracing Our Messy Journey Together

Surviving daily life while simultaneously working through unexpected difficulties arising from ADHD, Anxiety, and Depression may feel daunting at times—but remember: you’re not alone. Each unique challenge we face shapes us into stronger and wiser individuals who are [so wildly] capable of overcoming any and every obstacle we may stumble upon along the way.

By acknowledging our vibrant astrological identities and our varying parenting perspectives, alongside our main mental health concerns —we empower ourselves while validating each other’s experiences within this authentic community we continue to create together.

I believe that everyone should have a safe online space to openly share their stories, relate to similar experiences, and ultimately connect with others in a no-filter, no-judgement, and no-shame type of environment → Welcome to our safe space. ♥︎《MentalMessyAries》