The pandemic pushed childcare duties front and center. And, many of us continue to work from home and use the majority of our “free” hours to provide care for our kids. This is admirable, but, as parents, we also have to focus on ourselves.
Why Self-Care Is Important For Parents
Self-care is crucial for all people. As a parent, the way that you take care of yourself directly impacts how you care for your children. When you are relaxed and refreshed, you’re likely to feel less stress, this can lead to a positive attitude in your children as they can easily pick up on your feelings. When you care for yourself, you also have more energy to devote to your children when it’s time to focus on them.
Battle Burnout
If burnout is not a term you’re familiar with, it’s time to learn. Burnout is essentially the feeling of perpetual exhaustion and emotional depletion caused by taking on too much or getting stuck in a rut. A few ways you can keep your inner light shining include:
● Take a course. Knowledge is power, and the Bright Rebel Coaching Reduce Your Overwhelm workshop can help you break cycles that keep you stressed and unable to relax.
● Change careers. If work has you constantly feeling on edge, it may be time to change careers. You can do this by looking within your current organization for roles that are complementary to your skills. You may also consider going through programs via course providers, such as Coursera, Pearson, and Open Study College.
● Create a new schedule. Sometimes, feeling burnt out is simply a matter of having too much predictability in your day. Consider changing your routine. This may be something as simple as spending dedicated time with the kids in the afternoon or planning a dessert night once each week.
Let Go
Something else that's crucial for self-care is letting go of responsibilities. While you can’t sidestep all of your obligations, you must remember that you don’t have to take on everything by yourself. Consider instead:
● Hiring an assistant. Virtual assistant services are an inexpensive way for us to take some tasks off of our proverbial plates. If you run a business, you can hire someone to do everything from answering telephone calls to managing work projects so that you can focus on yourself and your family.
● Stop saying yes. It is human nature to want to help our friends, family, and even strangers. But, there comes a time when you have to say yes to yourself instead of everyone else. Stop being a people pleaser, and don’t take on more responsibilities than you can handle without hurting yourself.
● Let your spouse or partner take on responsibilities. Speaking of responsibilities, stop shying away from letting your spouse or partner parent your children. Part of your self-care endeavors should be learning to rely on your significant other around the house.
Focus Inward
Finally, don’t forget to do things solely for yourself. You might spend a few minutes each day:
● Preparing healthy meals
● Meditating
● Sleeping in
● Taking a long shower
● Exercising
● Reading a book
Ultimately, the way that you take care of yourself will profoundly impact your children, your job, and your personal relationships. While you can’t be selfish as a parent, you must remember that self-care is not self-serving behavior, it’s simply keeping yourself mentally and physically well. Furthermore, your children will see how you treat yourself, and they will follow suit. If you don’t want your children suffering through burnout, exhaustion, and other negative feelings, you have to teach them now that it’s okay to prioritize self-care.
Ready to make a change? Let Bright Rebel Coaching help you find the right path.
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