Take a Break: Ways To Practice Self-Care for New Parents
Every parent can relate to not having time to themselves. Admittedly, it took me a while to learn that it’s OK to take time to myself, and even now, I still fall into this trap. Parenting is an art, and it has learners but no masters. However, I learned one thing: to continue promoting self-care to new parents like y’all. It’s OK to take a break for a while, especially when you want to try out a new way to practice self-care as a new parent.
Express Your Stress to Family and Friends
Let’s take a moment to pause. Take a breath in—hold… one… two—now release slowly. How do you feel? If you still feel stressed, you’re likely holding in feelings you need to release. It’s not good to keep your feelings to yourself.
The best way to let it out is by voicing it to your friends and family. Tell them if you’re overwhelmed, stressed, or experiencing more forgetfulness. It’s essential to forgive yourself when you feel down.
When you reach out, family and friends are more likely to help you in time of need. Ask them if they could babysit for a few hours while you run errands or pamper yourself. Whatever the task or activity is, you likely want time to yourself. Don’t feel ashamed if you need “me time.”
Rediscover Your Interests and Relearn Old Skills
New babies require our full attention. As much as we focus on them, we neglect to focus on ourselves. There’s no evenness to this—I know I lost touch with my hobbies with my time spent on the kids.
It’s important to rediscover and relearn old skills. These skills define us and make for a fun learning experience for your kids as they grow up. Things like cooking and gardening are fun to learn again, and this time you have a mini apprentice that wants to learn alongside you.
Create an Early Morning Routine
Sometimes you need an earlier start to the day. Whether it’s morning coffee and a good book or watching the sunrise with your partner, it’s essential to develop a routine to prepare for the day. One way to ensure that you get time to yourself in those crucial morning hours is to give your baby their own room.
Placing the baby in a separate room creates a more independent child. I’d recommend starting this routine when they’re at least four months old to help wane them off sleeping with mom and dad in their bed.
Stay Connected and Make Connections
It’s crucial to maintain contact with friends, y’all. You want to stay in touch, even with the ones who don’t have kids. Making new connections with others also helps you learn that you’re not alone as a parent.
You should also keep your connections with medical experts. New parents tend to forget that they, too, have a body to take care of. Thus, being in touch with a physician and a dentist is crucially important. If you’re looking for a dental expert right now, you can reach out to this dentist who offers braces, crowns, and dental implants in Colorado Springs.
It’s essential to make time for ourselves. Rediscover yourself and talk with your partner about finding different ways to practice self-care with each other instead of doing it on your own.
