Parenting Self Care
It’s a sunny Saturday morning, you pull up into the parking lot at the base of the mountain, and the family piles out of the car ready for a long day’s hike. Your backpack is filled to the brim with anything and everything the kids may need on their grand adventure of a day— water, snacks, band-aids, jackets, a candy bar for the top—all to lighten their load so they can enjoy themselves as best they can. But, as the slope steepens and the kids run further into the distance, your pack feels heavier and heavier and you can’t keep up.
On a hike, as with everything in life, it is important for parents to remember to assess their own needs amidst the hustle and bustle of tending to the needs of their loved ones.
Practicing self-care can help you show up best, not just for your kids, but for yourself. Self-care can often be confused with self-indulgence—selfish behavior that takes time and energy away from the family. But in reality, self-care is not an indulgence but a necessity. “Self-care” is defined as any action that improves one’s health, whether it be physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, social, or professional, and requires a conscious mental effort to better one’s health and happiness. For self-care, rather than look for short-term distractions to satisfy immediate needs or impulses, focus on getting into a long-term routine to maintain your health.
Here are a few self-care reminders to keep in mind heading into the new year:
Supply your body with the nutrients it needs—Eat nutritious meals that make the heart happy and healthy and stay hydrated. After all, chasing kids around all day takes a lot of energy!
Get enough sleep—The National Sleep Foundation advises adults get between 7-9 hours a night.
Move your body—Exercising, whether it’s a short walk or morning yoga, releases endorphins, the “feel-good hormone,” and helps your body feel more energized for the day ahead.
Meditate and reflect—Take a second to de-clutter and re-focus your mind during a busy day on your own or guided with the help of a meditation app.
Disconnect to reconnect—Refocus the effort spent putting together the perfect post and engage meaningfully in the moment you were working so hard to capture.
Perhaps on the next family hike, you get enough sleep the night before or give yourself a moment to eat and drink, so your body has the fuel to make it to the top. As a parent, you will always be carrying an extra load, but acts of self-care power you to conquer the climb ahead.
There is a mountain to climb every day— whether it’s helping the kids with homework or wrapping all the gifts before the kids walk in the room. Whatever your mountain, pacing yourself with self-care tools can help you to reach the top alongside your family so you can enjoy the view.