Parenthood is a highly rewarding experience. It is filled with joyous moments and happy memories. At the same time, it is also a tough and demanding episode of life. You have to become a multi-tasker, juggling work and life, along with managing the kids, while taking care of yourself. Sometimes, all of that can get overwhelming, especially if you are a new parent.
Parental burnout and stress are very real and common. Many parents end up questioning their own existence. So, what’s the solution? Proper Self-Care!
However, it is not as easy as it sounds. While fulfilling parental and household duties, you may often forget about self-care, which leads to more anxiety, exhaustion, depression, and many more negative feelings. You need to strike the right balance between the two, and we are here to tell you how.
10 Best Tips To Balance Parenthood And Self-Care
Proper self-care can improve the quality of life for you and your children. Here are the 10 best tips to achieve a balance between parenthood and self-care.
1. Try To Get Enough Sleep
A good night’s sleep is important to refresh your mind and body. However, it seems like a far-fetched idea for parents, especially when the children are young. Still, a peaceful sleep can do wonders for your health. Here are some points that will help you get enough of it:
- Create a consistent sleep schedule.
- Ensure a calm and quiet environment.
- Avoid screen time at least an hour before bed.
- Try to get around 6 – 8 hours of sleep every night.
Practice these tips and make your children follow in your footsteps to ensure you sleep and wake up with your children.
2. Take Some Time For Yourself
Making some time for yourself in the busy parenthood schedule is essential and you should not feel guilty for doing so. Use this precious time doing things you love like reading a book, hitting the gym, having dinner with a friend, or going for a walk.
Doing so will help you refresh and rejuvenate before you go back to being a super parent. Make this a part of your daily routine and never negotiate on it.
3. Make Time For Exercise
Many people think that exercise is all about lifting weights, but it is much more than just that. Exercise means any type of physical activity and it is one of the best stress relievers for work-life balance. It can be a yoga session, gym workout, hiking, or good old-fashioned running.
Even a half hour to one hour of daily exercise can significantly boost your physical and mental health. It can reduce stress, improve mood, promote blood flow, and enhance physical and mental strength. However, only exercise as much as your body can take, and don’t overwork yourself, otherwise, it can cause physical strain.
4. Get Help From Your Support System
You might not realize it at this moment, but a support system can be really helpful for new parents. It can be your friends, family members, or other parents. These people may very well understand your situation and help you in the best way possible.
If you don’t have any support system in your circle or family, you can join any support group, whether online or physical. Don’t think reaching out for support will make you weak, sometimes you can receive the best advice from others.
5. Build A Proper Everyday Routine
Every parent has different workloads and duties, both inside and outside the house. Still, whatever your every day is like, you must establish a proper routine. It will help you get the most out of a day and boost your well-being.
A healthy routine starts with a timely and healthy sleep-wake cycle. Make a habit of going to bed early and waking up at the break of dawn. After that, make some time for exercise and eat healthy. Lastly, work in the early hours of the day and have some time for yourself in the night.
6. Consume A Healthy Diet
A healthy diet comprises physical activity, digital health, well-balanced food, and zero tobacco. A healthy diet is crucial for good health and nutrition. It helps keep your physical health and mental well-being in proper shape. Also, make sure to give your kid(s) the same diet you take.
A healthy diet starts from an early age and includes a mix of different nutrition-rich foods. For example, cereals (wheat, barley, rice, etc), legumes (lentils and beans), fruits, vegetables, food from animal sources (eggs, fish, and meat), and dairy products (milk and yogurt). Another thing you need to make sure is to consume less fat, sugars, and salt.
7. Explore Your Passion
Everyone has hobbies and passions, and you will surely have one or more as well. It can be swimming, painting, sketching, photography, writing, gaming, or anything else. Moreover, you can teach your kid(s) a thing or two as well and help them discover their passions.
Doing something that you love and enjoy will greatly help reduce any ongoing parental stress and anxiety. Include it in your daily routine and thank us later!
8. Unplug From Technology
Today, we are surrounded by technology and gadgets. It seems nearly impossible to manage parenthood, self-care, and work-life balance in the digital age, but let us tell you, it is quite possible. Although there are many benefits of technology, it also has numerous drawbacks. For example, too much screen time can cause eye strain, the digital world can get addictive, and it can distract you from doing parental duties.
So, pick a time to just unplug yourself from technology. Turn off WiFi, switch off gadgets, and put aside all the devices. Take this time to connect with your friends and family, play with kid(s), have a romantic dinner with your spouse, or just read a book and sip coffee. With time, you will start noticing a reduction in stress and improvements in health and mind.
9. Celebrate Your Achievements
Whether big or small, an achievement is an achievement, and it deserves to be celebrated. Just like you acknowledge your children’s every effort and celebrate their achievements, you must celebrate your parental triumphs.
You don’t always have to throw a party or decorate the house, even small steps like having dinner outside with your friends will also do just fine. The point is to acknowledge your success, let go of setbacks, and motivate yourself to be better each day. It will boost your confidence, reduce stress, and make a positive impact on your kid(s).
10. Approach Digital Health
Remember when we said technology has a lot of benefits? Well, here is one – Digital Health and Assistance. Today, there are over 350,000 health apps and research indicates that the global digital health market will cross an estimated $980 billion by 2032. Every year, there are millions of health app downloads and for good reasons.
Digital Health apps include different physical and mental assistance apps that can improve your daily life. For example, sleep assistance apps, fitness apps, health tracking apps, etc. To achieve a balance between parenthood and self-care, there is a work-life balance app for you – Balance Me. It helps track tasks, manage priorities, socialize, and find places to refresh, relax, relish, and rejuvenate. For example, you can find the best Christmas events, book a salon session, or collaborate with friends for a walk.
Conclusion – Care For Self Today And Enjoy A Healthier Tomorrow
Being present and taking care of yourself is not selfish at all. A good self-care routine can help you forget parenthood stress and put you in a happy mood all day long. Even a few healthy habits can help you balance parenthood and self-care without affecting one or the other.
Things like a proper sleep schedule, “Me Time”, physical activity, connection with your support system, and a healthy diet, along with the other five can make a big difference. With time, you will start to feel better, more refreshed, and mentally sound to tackle parenthood head-on and win every time.
