Motherhood itself is a full-time job. When you’re new to being a mom (or dad), there are a lot of life changes that happen pretty quickly. Because most of your attention goes to your newborn or other children, your mental wellness can suffer. However, this shouldn’t be the case. You can still be a great mom while also caring for your mental wellness. If you’re not sure how, keep reading to find out.
Communicate with Your Partner
While mothers can feel the pressure of parenting, so can fathers. Both parents are susceptible to mental exhaustion and feeling the weight of being a parent. Because of this, it’s important to communicate with your partner about any mental struggles you are experiencing. Being open about challenges you're facing with your partner gives you the chance to brainstorm how you can move forward together while taking care of your mental health. Be sure to discuss how your partner can support you. Maybe they can pick up doing some of the household chores or help with carpooling and tackling the older kids’ schedules. This can give you a chance to relax, destress, decompress, and focus on your mental well-being.
Seek Professional Help
If you feel as if your mental health is holding you back from enjoying each and every day, then something needs to be done. You want to enjoy every step and milestone your children go through as they grow up. Yes, you want to lean on your partner when you are struggling, but if that is not yielding results, it might also be time to seek professional help. You might want to look into available options for therapy. Having someone to talk to about your stressors and struggles in your life will help you work through any mental health issues you may be facing. You may feel as if you always have to stay strong for the others in your family, so finding someone you can openly speak with is important. As you get these thoughts out of your head, you can clear your mind and create space for the new memories you will be making with your family.
Use Your Resources
It’s stressful being a mom sometimes. It can be hard to balance your career, home life, children’s schedules, and mental wellness. To accommodate your family, you can exhaust yourself, so why not use the resources that are available to you? Don’t be afraid to ask for help or use things that will make life a little bit easier.
For example, if you and your partner need a “parenting break,” contact a nanny or babysitter. Having a nanny spend time with your kids gives you the opportunity to step away for some time. It can be hard to trust someone coming into your home and watching your children, so use a site like this to help. Try doing something for yourself during this time, like a little self-care. Or if you and your partner want to do something together, see a movie, or look up fun date night ideas to try out.
Improve Your Sleep
If your child is struggling to sleep and you don’t have blackout curtains, try the SlumberPod 3.0. When your child is not getting proper sleep, you likely aren’t getting much, either. Both you and your child might be cranky, tired, and anxious. The SlumberPod will allow your child to sleep in complete darkness, whether it’s overnight or for a nap. While your child is sleeping, you can get some rest yourself. After some much-needed sleep, you could wake up feeling refreshed and also anxiety and stress-free, especially knowing your child also got some good sleep.
Additionally, getting enough sleep allows time for your mind to do some mental processing. When you don’t get enough sleep, you end up being forgetful the next day, so avoid that by getting an adequate amount of sleep each night. Taking advantage of resources like these can help alleviate some of the stress you are feeling and improve your mental wellness.
Practice Self-Care
Finding time to be alone and focus on yourself is important. Taking care of a house and your kids can sometimes be the only thing you let yourself think about. So let’s change that. Take some time, either in the morning or before bed, to step away from everyone and everything and be by yourself. It could be meditating, reading, journaling, or even sitting in silence, but give yourself the time you deserve to decompress. With a clear mind and peaceful outlook, it will be easier to go back and enjoy your family time.
One great way to practice self-care as a mother is to find your own routines. Children need and enjoy structure, but so does your body. Creating a relaxing and decompressing nighttime routine for yourself will help you get to sleep easier and feel more refreshed in the morning. Take a long hot shower and snuggle in with a book. You have one of the hardest jobs in the world and deserve a good night's sleep.
You are a mother, but you are still human. You need to be cared for as well! The more you feel confident and positive, the more it will rub off on your family. Your health and wellness are just as important as everything else you do for your family. You are the glue of the family and do not want to fall apart.
