It’s important to take parenting seriously, but not so much that you forget about yourself in the daily shuffle. You need to remain happy and healthy, so you have the energy to take care of the ones you love and feel good each day.
It’s time to stop being unhappy about how much time you don’t have and start implementing strategies that are going to help you stay well and be a busy parent simultaneously. The good news is there are habits you can change and adjust that will aid you in your journey to taking care of yourself and being a good parent.
Set Wellness Goals & Track Progress
You’ll get a lot further along with your health if you set wellness goals and ensure you are tracking your progress along the way. Determine what it is you want to accomplish and specifics about how you’re going to get there. For example, if you want to work out each day, then it may require you to set your alarm early in the morning and hit the gym before your family gets up. You can be a busy parent and stay healthy when you put your mind to it and create a schedule for you to follow each day that allows you to remain on track.
Exercise & Eat Right
Two habits that will help you guarantee you stay healthy if you practice them regularly is exercising and eating well. Make it a point to check these two items off your list daily if you want to function at your best and feel better overall. Set a time each day when you’ll workout and head to the grocery store on the weekends so you can prepare your meals ahead of time. Bring your lunch and healthy snacks to work to help you stay on track even when you’re at the office. While it’s going to be more challenging to move more and eat well when you’re also trying to parent, it’s possible to do so with the right mindset and structure in place that will help you succeed.
Find Hobbies you Enjoy
It’s important you have your own life and hobbies you enjoy even though you’re also a parent. For example, challenge yourself to new recipes, building furniture or putting together silhouette Australia puzzles. You need to have ways to take your mind off your daily responsibilities and activities that make you feel proud of yourself. It’s important to remember that you have many additional talents and abilities besides being a good parent to your kids that are worth practicing and showing off. If you don’t have much free time as it is, then it may be time to start saying no to all you get asked to do and clearing your schedule for enjoying more fun.
Manage Your Stress
You have to learn to manage your stress if you’re going to stay healthy and be a busy parent. Start by making a daily checklist and prioritizing your tasks according to what’s most important. Get yourself a planner to help you keep your obligations in order and reduce the amount of worry you feel on a daily basis. In addition to this, you can practice yoga, take up meditation or go for long walks to decompress and slow racing thoughts. Too much stress will sneak up on you and cause you to act in ways you might later regret. Know your warning signs and catch stress and get it under control before it’s too late.
Spend Time with your Kids
Make time for play and spending quality time with your kids if you want to be a healthy parent. This is the kind of interaction where you need to relax a bit and embrace all the love you have for your children. While it’s important to teach your kids and be a good role model, there are other times when it’s healthy to get on the same level as them and show them how much you care about them and their activities. They’ll likely love this extra attention from you, and your family bond will grow stronger. Put your phone down once in a while and engage with your kids and find yourself having fun and laughing again.
Take Care of You First
Always remember that you should come first before any tasks and even other people. The only way you’re going to be able to parent to the best of your ability is if you take care of yourself first. Start making more time for doing what you love and your self-care rituals daily. Write down what you’re going to do for you in your schedule, so you never forget to attend to your needs on a regular basis too. Getting lazy in this area will have you soon feeling exhausted, and you won’t have the energy or desire to put your best foot forward as a parent and spouse.
Practice Positive Self-Talk
Stop once in a while and notice the dialogue that’s going on in your head. Now is the time to push all of that negativity and pessimism aside and focus on what’s going right in your life. Practice positive self-talk regularly and gratitude, and you’ll quickly see your life situation isn’t so bad after all. Keep encouraging and reminding yourself that you have everything under control and are doing the best you can. Let what you do each day be enough and never stop patting yourself on the back for all your efforts and the love you show your family.
Conclusion
Don’t use being a busy parent as an excuse for not taking care of yourself and slacking when it comes to self-care. These are a few excellent ways for how you can do it all and stay healthy at the same time. Stay focused on what you’re doing right and don’t let a few bumps in the road get you down or make you feel inadequate. Most importantly, remember to enjoy the ride and keep a smile on your face.