Self-Care for Parents

Self-Care for Parents

Self-care is any action that you do to improve your health. According to the National Institute of Mental Illness (NAMI), all self-care habits fall under the following six umbrella categories:

• Physical

• Psychological

• Emotional

• Spiritual

• Social

• Professional

In many cases, a parent might be neglecting their needs because they worry that doing so is selfish or self-absorbed. Here are a few signs that you are stressed or overwhelmed and in serious need of self-care:

• Change in sleeping or eating habits

• Headaches, dizziness, or stomach upset

• Feeling unsafe, unhappy, guilty, vulnerable, anxious, or lonely

• Difficulty concentrating

• Withdrawn or irritated, crying or anger outbursts

Taking care of your spiritual, physical, psychological, and social needs will help you feel your best so you can be the best parent you can be. It’s important to set aside a little bit of time for self-care even when you feel like you don’t have a single second to devote to yourself. While there are many different self-care strategies for parents, it’s important to experiment with them to figure out which strategies work best for you. 

• Meditate (start with five minutes)

• Spend Time in Nature, sit outside and just be still

• Listen to Music

• Join a Bookclub

• Write in a Gratitude Journal

• Take time to be alone

• Schedule time to be with friends

• Get sleep

• Exercise

• Take a break from electronics

• Ask for help 

• Get out of the house

• Integrate regular self-care strategies into your routine. 

The times when you’re thinking you don’t have time to take care of yourself are likely the times when you need to practice self-care the most.