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Just because children come first in your life, doesn’t mean you have to neglect your own health and well-being. It’s imperative that you recognize your own needs and practice positive self-care. Otherwise, you could put your health, as well as your child’s health, at risk.
Here’s Why Self-Care Matters
“Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health,” PsychCentral explains. “Although it’s a simple concept in theory, it’s something we very often overlook. Good self-care is key to improved mood and reduced anxiety. It’s also key to a good relationship with oneself and others.”
As a parent, in particular, here are some of the reasons why self-care matters:
1. Less Stress
When you spend time caring for yourself in deliberate ways, you’re able to reduce both physical and emotional stress. This eliminates the root of anxiety and allows you to feel a greater sense of freedom.
2. More Positive Outlook
If you’re only focused on others, it’s easy to become tired, jaded, and cynical. When you spend some time caring for your own needs, you’ll experience a sense of rejuvenation that gives you a much more positive and balanced outlook on life.
3. Fewer Health Crises
Many parents spend so much time focused on children that they don’t give enough attention to their own health and hygiene needs. This is particularly common when it comes to oral health. Proper self-care accounts for this.
“It’s important to take care of oral hygiene and dental problems as soon as possible – otherwise they could turn into serious dental emergencies that are expensive, time-intensive, and painful,” Teeth Now explains. “Thankfully, today’s advanced dental procedures make it possible to improve your teeth with simple, same-day implants.”
Whether it’s your teeth, heart, or mind, better self-care means fewer health crises.
4. Happier Children
If you’re tired, sick, and mentally exhausted, how can you care for your children and tend to their needs? As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup. You need to care for yourself in order to care for others.
Ironically enough, practicing self-care actually allows you to give your children what they need. This results in feelings of greater happiness and satisfaction.
How to Practice Good Self-Care
Self-care is clearly important, but what does it look like in practice? As a parent, here are a few specific things you can do:
- Find some alone time. It can be exhausting to always be with other people – especially when you have responsibilities in the relationships. In order to practice good self-care, regularly spend time alone. This may look like waking up early, going to bed late, or spending your lunch hour by yourself in your car. Do whatever you need to do.
- Treat yourself. It’s okay to treat yourself to something nice from time to time. Never feel guilty about doing anything that makes you feel good, so long as it isn’t hurting other people in the process.
- Get some exercise. As PsychCentral notes, “Vigorous exercise (heart racing and body sweating) for 20 to 60 minutes a day, three to six days a week, increases cardiovascular capacity, releases endorphins (which have a role in reducing stress and depression), and burns excess calories, leading to weight reduction.” Make it a point to incorporate a fitness regimen into your weekly routine.
- Laugh at the small things. There are a lot of bad things that happen in the world. Between the negative situations that unfold on a global scale, to the ones that happen right at home, you can’t afford to focus and reminisce on these problems. Learn to laugh at the small things and enjoy the little moments.
Everyone has personal preferences, needs, and interests. The more you practice good self-care, the more you’ll discover what it looks like for you. Just don’t neglect it!
Don’t Lose Sight of What Matters
At the end of the day, you have to strike a balance between good self-care and parenting. If you give too much focus to one or too little to the other, you’ll end up living an unbalanced life that lacks health and happiness. Focus on the things that matter most and never lose sight of the importance of family and togetherness.
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This content is sponsored by Larry Alton.
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Photo credit: Flickr