Top 12 Mental Health Tips for Parents
Take care of basic needs
Parents can’t be good parents, significant others, employees, or happy people without the basics being taken care of. Make sure you are eating healthy, regular meals, drinking plenty of water, and getting good sleep. Nature walks, active games (even duck, duck, goose), and yoga, can be great ways to stay moving.
Go easy on yourself
Self compassion is a huge tenet of good mental health, especially when you’re stretched thin. Recognize when you’re having difficult days and lower expectations. Leave the dishes for later, order take out for dinner, or allow your kids a little more screen time so you can rest. Ultimately you’ll feel better and have more energy to be a great parent.
Prioritize bedtime
Make not only your kids bedtime routine firm, but also your own. Getting enough good sleep goes a long way. Create a bedtime routine that may include limiting screen and device time half an hour before sleep. Do something relaxing like drinking tea, meditating, practicing yoga, or take a bath before bed.
Limit energy draining activities
What things zap your energy the most? News? Social media? Especially the past year, checking in with news or social media can be emotionally and mentally draining. Limit these activities to 15 or 30 minutes a day. Put away your phone so you have quality time with children or significant others.
Take mental health breaks
Especially if you are a stay-at-home parent, make sure you have mental health breaks for yourself. When the children are napping practice yoga or meditation, call a friend, journal, watch the next episode of your favorite series, work on a creative project, or workout. If the kids aren’t napping, give them some quite screen or reading time so you can have a break in your day.
Keep up any pre-kid medications or therapy practices
Especially during the pandemic there have been many stresses on income, availability, and mobility. Make you take needed psychiatric or other medications and participate in physical or mental/emotional wellness therapies that supported you pre-kids.
Fifteen minutes can make a big difference
Taking care of mental health doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Getting outside for fresh air, sitting in your car to have a minute alone, taking a hot bath or shower, listening to music, processing feelings with a friend or partner, watching a funny show, or playing a game can give you those positive recharge breaks in your day.
Continue activities that fill your bucket
Activities that you once enjoyed don’t have to disappear when you have kids. Hiking, biking, painting, gardening, baking, reading, learning a new language, and many more things can be enjoyed alone or with your kids.
Find new creative ways to connect with friends
Time is limited with kids. But there are ways to connect that are quick and easy. Do a video yoga session together, take a walk or bike ride together, grab a coffee and head to the park with the kids, start an online book club, make a Facebook group, or record video messages for friends.
Set small achievable goals
Especially when children are young you may not have much time to yourself. Set manageable little goals to help you feel like you’re moving forward on tasks or projects. Instead of thinking, I have to write the 25 thank you cards, think, I can write 2 thank you cards a day.
Practice positive self-talk
Being a parent is challenging. You can feel like you’re failing a dozen times a day. Tell yourself “I am a great parent” or “I am doing my best for today”. The more inspirational things you say to yourself the more you will start to believe them. If you feel weird saying them out loud, write them on sticky notes and put them on your mirror or fridge.
Communicate needs and feelings
No matter how small or insignificant you feel an idea or feeling is, it’s not! Keeping things inside never helps. Make sure you have a good open communication system with your partner or significant other. Talk about your days, challenges, struggles, accomplishments, and wins.
If you’re struggling with constant anxiety or low or depressed mood, contact a medical professional. Changing hormones, roles, and responsibilities can be overwhelming.
Danielle Older, MSW, LISW-S, CCTP
Danielle is one of our maternal mental health therapists and the founder of River Root Counseling. Her therapeutic style is individual, evidence-based, and unique to best serve each individual client. Danielle will work with you, at your pace, cheering you on and empowering you as you accomplish your therapeutic goals. Danielle values the therapeutic relationship and works to make each session beneficial and helpful for her clients. Danielle is a mother herself, and understands the roller coaster that parenting and motherhood can sometimes feel like.
Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervision Designation (Ohio) – I.2002068-SUPV
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)
Bachelor’s of Social Work – University of Akron
Master’s in Social Work – Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Schedule a consultation here. Client Portal: https://danielleolder.clientsecure.me/sign-in