The Best Strategies for Parents to Boost Their Mental Health

The Best Strategies for Parents to Boost Their Mental Health

The Best Strategies for Parents to Boost Their Mental Health Take care of your basic needs Prioritize sleep time,Determine the boundaries around the power zapper,Take a mental health break Stick to your treatment,Practice bite-sized behaviors,Concentrate on the activities that fill you
Find creative ways to connec,tBe humble with yourself Here is what has been written on these topics. I hope all of you will read it and it will be useful for you.

Feeling kind of out? Mental health professionals share their tips for general change with great benefits.

You know that taking care of your mental health is important. But, as a parent, you are also limited in time and energy - resources that have only shrunk since the epidemic began.

And yet, with some intent, you can absolutely lean towards your mental health - even a demanding career, with little to no child care, and 1,000 other things you need to complete.

According to psychotherapists, here are the best (and completely possible) mental health-boosting strategies.

Take care of your basic needs

These basics include eating regularly, eating nutritious foods and getting your body moving, says Laura Torres, LPC, a psychotherapist in Asheville, North Carolina.

To make it a reality, he suggests that you carry a snack and a bottle of water with you wherever you go and when you feed your babies. You can also participate in fun physical activities with your family, such as walking in nature, playing an active game and doing a yoga video, he says.

Prioritize sleep time

"Parents often treat their children's bedtime routines with the utmost respect but then neglect themselves," said Carlin Macmillan, MD, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and founder of Brooklyn Minds. Lack of sleep drowns our mood and is “a recipe for increasing stress for everyone in the house,” he notes.

Creating a sleep routine can be very simple:

Adjust the blue light emitted from all screens, because "blue light tells your brain that it's time to wake up," Macmillan says. You can do this in the settings of each device or download a blue-light filter app. “You can also get smart bulbs for your bedroom that eliminate blue light at night and emit more of it in the morning,” or wear blue light-blocking glasses in the evening.

Stop using the device about 30 minutes before bedtime.

Engage in one or two relaxing activities, such as drinking chamomile tea and listening to 10-minute guided meditation.

Determine the boundaries around the power zapper

Which drains your mental, physical and mental energy on a daily basis? For example, you can limit news checking to 15 minutes per day and go to bed at 10 p.m.

You can put your phone in a drawer when you are with your kids. You can substitute your afternoon coffee with a huge glass of water. These small changes can have a big impact.

Take a mental health break

"Parents must find a way to take a break," said Rida Walker, a clinical psychologist in Houston, Texas and author of "The Unpolitical Guide to Black Mental Health." One of these ways is to use screen time strategically.

"Another 30 minutes of screen time for kids may sound 'bad', but if 30 minutes prevents a parent from losing control and yelling at someone they love about minor matters, that extra screen time is 100 percent worth it," he says.

Think of those minutes as an improvement in mental health: communicate with a friend, journal your feelings, listen to a fun podcast, progress on a creative project, or do a high-intensity workout.

Stick to your treatment

Macmillan emphasizes the importance of taking any prescribed psychiatric medication. If you have lost your insurance due to the epidemic, he recommends checking websites like HoneybeeHealth.com for low cost drugs. Many pharmacies are also prescribing drugs and doctors are giving 90-day prescriptions to reduce travel, he added.

Of course, if you think your medication is not working or you are experiencing annoying side effects, talk to your doctor. Always voice your questions and concerns.

Practice bite-sized behaviors

Austin-based psychotherapist Kirsten Bruner, LPC, shares these tips for small but significantly beneficial activities:

1.Go outside to taste some fresh air

2.Sit in the car to catch your breath

3.Take a hot bath

4.Process your feelings with your partner

5.Watch a fun or inspirational show

Every morning, Bruner likes to play soft classical music in his kitchen: "It has a calming effect on the whole family."

Concentrate on the activities that fill you

Do this when you are alone and with your kids.

This can mean working on your novel and reading your favorite book to your child. It could mean teaching them to bake brownies while singing Disney songs - just like you did with your mom. This could mean drawing or learning a new language together, because you are also interested in it.

Find creative ways to connect

“It’s very difficult for parents to connect their timeline with other parents’ busy schedules, ”Torres said. But that doesn’t mean the connection is impossible. For example, the Torres app likes Marco Polo, which lets you send video messages to your friends that they can listen to at any time.

You can also start a two-person book club or set a practice date: practice yoga on the zoom, meet for a bike ride, or call each other while walking around the block.

Be humble with yourself

Self-empathy can be a blessing for mental health, especially when you are struggling and under stress. On difficult days, acknowledge that you’re having a hard time and lower your expectations, Torres says - shamelessly allow yourself to avoid tasks, eat other frozen foods, and increase screen time for your kids.

Remind yourself that you’re trying your best, MacMillan adds. Let yourself feel your feelings - and cry when you need to.

If you feel selfishly caring for your mental health, remember that you are a person who deserves to feel and be well - just like anyone else.

And if you still feel conflicted, consider Bruner's analogy: parenting is "the longest and most difficult journey out there."

So, as you fill up your gas tank, test your oil and add air to your tires for long car trips, “you want to make sure you’re getting mentally and physically fit” will be one of the best adventures you will ever experience.