WHAT IS MOMM?

Mind Over Matters Mental Health Awareness Program

MOMMS and Mental Health

How do I know if I am suffering from Depression or Anxiety?

Common symptoms noticeable in women are:

Avoidance Patterns

An early warning sign for anxiety or depression occurs when someone begins avoiding things once enjoyed. As a mom, this might look like skipping playdates you used to love, avoiding phone calls with friends, or losing interest in hobbies that brought you joy.

Emotional Symptoms

• Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” feelings
• Feelings of guilt, hopelessness, and shame
• Feeling disconnected from your baby, as if you’re not the baby’s mother, or not loving or caring for the baby
• Frequent crying and irritability
• Doubting your ability to care for the baby
• Help is easier than you may think!
  

  When to worry: Seeking help as a strength, not a weakness!

Benefits of Taking Breaks from Children

Why It’s Essential, Not Selfish

Taking a break from being with your child or family is not going to hurt them, it will help them, as when you spend time away from your child they are learning to build relationships with someone outside of the mother-child relationship NCBI.

Parents need a mental health break on the regular, with 66% of parents in one study reporting feeling burnt out CDC. Not getting a break from your kids can lead to feelings of resentment, anger, overwhelm, and frustration, with long term effects including depression and anxiety CDC.

How Time Away Benefits You

When you get time away you’re able to look at things from a new perspective, you might get some new insights into a recurring dynamic at home, or you might just relax and enjoy yourself, allowing yourself to let go and stop being responsible for another human being for a moment.

When you take time and space from your kids, whether it’s a weekend away or a few hours every afternoon, you actually miss them, and that’s a very good thing for you and for your kids, as when you get the space you need and you find yourself longing for reconnection with your kids, the quality of your interactions when you reconnect will be much better.

Taking breaks gives us time to rest and allow our bodies to relax, and bringing down the pace and taking a breather can have a calming effect on our bodies which can help us better manage stress.

When Symptoms Spread Across Your Life

It’s okay to worry from time to time, but if it starts becoming persistent and reaching across all areas of your life, that might be a signal you’re dealing with something bigger Sage Journals.

Normal mom stress might involve worrying about your child’s upcoming doctor appointment. Clinical anxiety involves persistent worry about multiple aspects of life—your parenting, your child’s future, your health, your relationships—that feels uncontrollable and disproportionate.

Physical Symptoms That Won’t Quit

While all moms get tired, depression and anxiety involve persistent physical symptoms like exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest, significant sleep disturbances, appetite changes, unexplained pain, or constant muscle tension.

MOMMs is Breaking the “MOM” STIGMA…

How Older Generation Parenting Views Create Stigma for Today’s Moms

“We Did It Without Help — So Can You”

Deeply ingrained generational beliefs teach women to push through pain, prioritize others, and equate strength with silence. Mental health concerns may be brushed aside as “just part of the job” or dismissed entirely until a mother reaches a breaking point. PubMed Central When a mom hears “I raised four kids and never needed therapy,” it sends a powerful message that needing help is weakness.

The “Good Mom” Standard Is Passed Down

One pervasive myth is that “good mothers don’t struggle mentally.” This harmful misconception perpetuates stigma and prevents many mothers from seeking support, reinforcing a cycle of suffering and silent mental health struggles. National Partnership for Women & Families This myth is frequently handed down through family attitudes and comments from older relatives.

The Pressure to Appear Perfect

Stigma in families is often rooted not directly in mental health stigma, but in judgments about specific examples where a parent is perceived to have failed to perform a desired and normative parental role. PubMed Older generations often had a very defined, rigid idea of what a “good mo

The “Intensive Mothering” Trap

Mothers often experience more pressure than fathers regarding how they should fulfill their parental role, and guilt is a common feeling — especially when they aspire to perfectly adhere to intensive mothering norms. To counteract guilt, many mothers commit vast amounts of time and energy to their children, often at the expense of their own needs and desires. The Lancet

When Family Members Are the Source of Stigma

One younger mother attributed a mental health episode directly to rejection from her own parents after having a baby young, illustrating that family — including older generations — can be a direct source of stigma rather than support. PubMed

Do Daily Self-Care “Realistically”

How Much “Away Time” Do Moms Really Need?

The Honest Answer: It’s Personal — But It Has to Be Regular

The most important components of self-care are being realistic and purposeful. If your schedule is hectic and chaotic, it may not be realistic to expect hours a week to focus on self-care activities. Start small with attainable expectations. PubMed Central The key word here is consistent — even small doses of regular time away matter more than occasional long breaks.

Start with Daily Micro-Breaks
(10–30 Minutes)

You don’t need hours of free time to practice self-care. Small, consistent actions can make a big difference — like enjoying a quiet cup of coffee in the morning before the family wakes up, taking a 10-minute meditation break during the day, or writing in a journal to process thoughts and feelings.

Don’t Underestimate the Small Stuff

Doing all the little things — making tiny, incremental changes — can completely transform your life. There’s research behind this phenomenon of micro actions. Start micro, count every tiny success as a win, and focus on what you CAN do. Moms deserve rest. Psychology Today

A Simple Framework for MOMMS

Why It Matters for Kids Too

Today’s moms often balance responsibilities at home and work that were less common in previous generations, with many also taking on the demands of single parenting.

While we value the traditions passed down from our moms, mental health remains a sensitive topic for many women. MOMM encourages women to embrace mental health awareness and reminds you that you are not alone.

When you don’t foster that sense of self and cultivate your relationship with yourself outside of being a mother, you are at risk for developing a codependent relationship with your children. Ideally, you want to foster a secure attachment — a relationship that can tolerate both separation and connection. Change Mental Health

There is no perfect number, but there IS a clear message from the research — regular time away, even in small amounts, is not a luxury.
It is how moms stay mentally well enough to show up fully for the people they love most.

Don’t feel guilty, MOMMs deserve to have
fun too!

MOMM encourages women to embrace mental health through music and nature…

The Perfect Combination

Remember: taking care of yourself isn’t selfish—it’s how you ensure you have the energy and patience to show up as the parent you want to be. Combining nature and music time away from children can be especially restorative.

Support is IN there… Just Step Outside!

• Morning walks or hikes at a local park or trail
• Birdwatching with a simple field guide app
• Stargazing in the backyard on clear nights
• Attending a live concert
• Creating mood playlists for different times of day
• Attending a local open mic night
• Listening to music during a solo drive or bath for some “me time”
• Exploring new genres through streaming platforms
• Combining nature time with time away from children can be especially restorative. Whether it’s a solo walk in the park, hiking with friends, or simply sitting outside with a coffee while someone else watches the kids,

You’re giving yourself the gift of both natural restoration and mental space to reconnect with yourself outside of your role as “mom.”

How Music Works on the Brain

Because of its rhythmic and repetitive aspects, music engages the neocortex of our brain, which calms us and reduces impulsivity (PubMed Central). This neurological response helps explain why music can shift our emotional state so effectively.

Music therapy encourages emotional resilience by helping people build strategies to cope with emotional challenges, and through repeated engagement, patients can learn to regulate their emotions more effectively, leading to improved mood stability (Urban Institute).

Emotional and Mental Health Benefits

Music therapy may help you:

• Relax
• Explore your emotions
• Reduce anxiety or depression
• Ease stress levels
• Regulate mood
• Strengthen communication skills
• Build social skills
• Strengthen self-confidence
• Form healthy coping skills
• Develop problem‑solving skills
  (PubMed Central)

MOMMS of Mountain Music Events 2025

MOMM’s Memorial Day Getaway 2025 — MOMMs ONLY!

“Remember those you have loved and lost with music, they would want that!”

Featuring Fisher and Sidepiece in Downtown Denver.

Summer Hike is postponed until Summer 2026.

Hiking and enjoying an Outdoor Concert

Halloween Getaway: MOMM’s Fall Halloween Fun

MOMMs can have fun too!
2025: Don Broco @ Gothic Theater
Just because we are MOMMS doesn’t mean we are DEAD!

MOMM’s End of Summer Retreat @ Red Rocks
We decided to relax with DJ Chris Lake instead of Hiking this summer!

Don’t feel guilty MOMMs, blame it on the A-A-A-A-A-A-A-Ah-AL-titude!

“For the MOMMS who do it all, you deserve a moment.”