Its time to prioritize you!
Many people, parents especially, hear all the time “take care of yourself” or “practice self-care” and it can feel like a lot of pressure or just plain unrealistic. I’m here to talk to you about why its so important and some ways to help you make the time!
Whether you’re a brand new parent, have a new baby, or are years into your parenting journey, it can be really easy to lose yourself in this role. I’ve heard pretty often from new parents that they don’t know who they are anymore, let’s try to change that!
Parenthood can be a beautiful journey, but it also comes with a big shift in mindset and the need to find a new you. But don’t let that new you become an afterthought. Let’s talk about some simple self-care strategies that can help you feel human again!
Self-care for the new parents
Exercise
Walks: put that baby in the stroller and go for a stroll around the block, at a local park, in the mall on a rainy day
Yoga: lay your baby on their tummy time mat and try to do some yoga! Your little one would probably love it if you did downward dog and their face was right next to yours
Gym/fitness class: not only can you join a standard gym or boutique fitness center, but many places offer mommy and me exercise classes!
Mindfulness
start your morning with a 5 minute meditation- look on youtube, Calm app, etc.
Mindfully drink coffee or tea- you can do this by taking a few minutes to really enjoy your coffee while its hot, really focus on the temperature, taste of the coffee, enjoy your favorite creamer!
Guided Imagery- nap trapped? put in your headphones and listen to a guided meditation to help you relax and escape for a bit
Rest
please don’t hate me for saying sleep when the baby sleeps, but use a contact nap (in a safe sleep space) to rest or sleep for a while
watch your favorite TV show, listen to a podcast, listen to music, read a book
take a bath or hot shower
Quality Time
put the baby to bed and do a stay at home date night: grab your favorite snacks, pick a movie, play a board game, play some video games, whatever you enjoy as a couple
once you feel comfortable put the baby in a stroller and go to an outdoor restaurant for a meal or the park for a picnic
read your favorite book to your baby, I promise they don’t care what it is, they just love your voice
if you are okay with it, ask a family member, friend, or babysitter to watch the little one(s) so you can go out on a date, even if its just a quick lunch
Plan Ahead for Meal Time
before your baby comes try to stock up your freezer with quick meals that you can just pop in the oven
maybe try to plan for each week ahead of time so you don’t have to use any energy thinking about what’s for dinner
have lots of quick easy things for snack time, especially if you' are breastfeeding, the hunger is real!
grocery delivery service!
don’t feel guilty ordering from UberEATS or DoorDash or Instacart!
Join a Support Group
sometimes there is just nothing like seeing another parent going through the same thing as you, try to join a mommy and me class
there are many local or virtual support groups that you can join for each stage of motherhood, find your village!
have a lot of mom friends? why not try to start a play group at a local park or start a walking group in your neighborhood
