*We hope this collaborative post sharing ways to take care of your own health and wellness as a parent is helpful*
As parents, we spend most of our lives focusing on our children and generally forget to touch base with ourselves. Being a good parent is of course about being selfless and nurturing our young ones, but when we forget to look after ourselves, we increase the chances of illness, both physical and mental, taking over and this will only serve to prevent us from giving our children the care and guidance they need. If illness were to debilitate you, or worse, you won’t be able to ensure they’re getting that support that a parent should give. We’ve listed some of the ways in which you should be taking care of yourself as a parent, and the impact that this self care will have on both you and your family.
Check In With Your Mental Health
It’s very important to ensure you’re of sound mind not just for you, but for your family too. It’s also important to remember that if you’re struggling then that’s okay. Everyone struggles with mental health problems every now and again, and there is plenty of avenues to get the help you need. First of all, you should be open with your partner or your close friends and family so people understand what you’re going through. This may instantly feel like a weight has been lifted once you know you’re not alone. Next, speak to your doctor about the help that you can receive, and start finding ways to combat feelings of depression. While your doctor will have plenty of advice and guidance for you, doing your own research and taking the time to figure out your own emotions and triggers will give you a better understanding of how to rectify your negative mental health.
Reduce Social Media Usage
This goes for everyone, not just parents. When we spend excessive amounts of time on social media, we tend to see the lives of others and compare ours to them, often feeling worse about the things we do. It’s worth remembering that even celebrities spend a lot of time just relaxing in front of the TV, let alone the people you knew from school. Most of us tend to cherry-pick the fun and exciting things in our lives, and this paints a skewed view of what our lives are really like most of the time. Instead of scrolling, switch off and spend time connecting with your family. Being more present with your loved ones not only benefits your kids, but it will also help to boost your own mental wellbeing too.
Whole Body Health Checks
Keeping tabs on our physical health is just as important as our mental health. There are lots of self-examination we can do to identify any possible issues such as skin cancer checks, and rethinking our diets, but sometimes getting some professional help to check us over is the best course of action. This site, Ezra, offers whole body MRI scans which can check you over for a myriad of different health issues. Finding nothing out of the ordinary will help to really put your mind at ease so you can focus on other aspects of your life as well as your family. But finding anything that’s a cause for concern will also allow you to get the treatment you need early on, increasing your chances of nipping it in the bud quickly. It can be scary to get tested for health problems but finding these things early can significantly reduce the risks that severe illnesses can pose.
Get Some Extra Sleep
One aspect of live that many of us neglect is sleep. Of course, being a parent often means that you’ll get more disturbed sleep and feel much more tired after completing all of your parenting duties. That’s why it’s essential for you to find the time and the means to get some quality sleep whenever possible. Not only should you be making sure you get enough sleep, but you should also get regular sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to some very serious health problems, let alone causing you to feel sluggish and drained throughout the day. It’s actually linked to an increased risk of heart disease and obesity. As we try to make it through the day when tired, we will often be more inclined to snack to boost our energy levels. This increases the number of calories entering our bodies and therefore can cause us to gain more weight than we’d like.
Have A Night Off
Hiring a babysitter every now and again will allow you to get away for an evening to truly unwind. Whether it’s with a partner or your friends, having this time to socialize among adults or going out for a date night can really help to ground you and allow you to take a step back to recuperate your energy. Just a few hours of time away from being a parent can help you to revaluate your life and replenish your parenting energy. Try to set regular times every month to get away from everything and relax, and as well as these nights out, think about getting yourself a hobby or something so that you can switch off at home too.