How To Take Care Of Your Mental Health as a Mom

Unless you’re a qualified psychologist, or you’ve completed a degree in the field – like a MA-CMHC online, for example – you may not even realize how imperative it is for moms to actively maintain their mental health.

As moms, we need to ensure that we’re looking after ourselves mentally – not just for our families, but for ourselves. To do this, we need to engage in some serious self-care: prioritizing our sleep, making healthy lifestyle choices, and maximizing our alone time. Yes, if we take care to keep ourselves mentally healthy, we can focus on the good stuff – savoring the precious moments of joy that will turn into our most cherished family memories.

Here’s how to maintain your mental health as a mom, so you can take better care of yourself, and your loved ones.

 

Mental Health Maintenance for Moms: Why it Matters

 

Practicing self-care is essential to prevent burnout as a busy mom. You can’t pour from an empty cup, as they say, and if you’re not looking after your mental health, you won’t be able to show up as your best self for your family.

But how do you compete with those ‘Super Moms’ who seem to be able to do it all? The truth is – aside from the Desperate Housewives mom who quite literally turned to amphetamines to give her superhuman speed – we’re all just doing the best we can. Doing our best looks different for everyone – we all have our individual parenting styles. As a mom, you must wear many hats; disciplinarian, kisses and cuddle dispenser, and conflict mediator – but the key to teaching your family to treat you with respect is to first do the same for yourself.

So how does a mom treat herself with the same respect and love she deserves to receive from her nearest and dearest? Enter: self-care.

 

Take Time Out: Scheduling Self-Care As a Busy Mom

 

Time poor? Don’t think you can justify looking after yourself? Think again. For moms, self-care is not an indulgence, it’s essential to our wellbeing. Here are some of our top self-care strategies for busy moms.

 

Get Some Shut-eye (When You Can, of Course)

 

If you’re a new mom who is finding it near impossible to get an uninterrupted night’s sleep, have you tried daytime napping at the same time as the baby?

Yes, this means you’ll need to sleep during the daylight hours, but at least you’ll be getting some rest. Sleep is essential for healthy brain function, and to support optimal mental health. As busy moms, we need to prioritize restorative, regenerating hours of sleep whenever – and however – we can.

 

Prioritize Your Own Well-being

 

As moms, we often feel like everyone else’s health is more important than our own. As long as the kids aren’t sick and they’re all feeling okay, that’s the main thing, right?

To play devil’s advocate, the answer is no. If you’re not looking after your own health – physical and mental – you won’t be able to show up for your family. Your kids deserve a healthy mum, and just as importantly, you deserve to feel good too. Take care to eat well, and to move your body when you can. Don’t worry – you don’t need to be one of those ‘active moms’ going for a 5km run with your baby stroller in tow. Even a light, 30-minute walk a few times a week can do wonders.

 

Savor Your Alone Time

 

Finding it challenging to make time for yourself? Be honest: when was the last time you washed and styled your hair, painted your nails, or applied a nourishing face mask?

If this suggestion sounds like we’re speaking in tongues, consider booking your toddler into daycare – even just once a week – to allow you a full day to get some self-care in. Think of this as your very own, dedicated ‘Pamper Day’. But be warned – don’t be tempted to fall into the trap of spending this extra time cleaning the house or running errands. Save your special day to do things that genuinely soothe your soul.

Feeling guilty about spending a whole day on yourself? You shouldn’t. Stay with us as we explain how you can effectively make up the time by habit-stacking your routine.

 

Boss-Mom Moves: Habit-stacking To Maximize Your Multi-tasking Mommy Routines

 

So, what’s habit-stacking? To be fair, it’s just like multi-tasking – without the negative connotations. Here are some habit-stacking hacks for time-poor moms:

 

Mindful Multi-tasking

 

When you’re a busy mom, it’s hard to find time in your day to get everything done. So, you need to make time – by multitasking.

Just dropped your daughter off at her dance class? Use the spare hour to take a rejuvenating walk by the water. Taking your son to the doctor? A medical waiting room is the ideal place to catch up on some reading, an audiobook, or a guided meditation podcast on your smartphone.

 

Meal Prep Mom Hacks

 

Does the thought of making a new dish for dinner every night make you want to vomit? Try meal-prepping. By cooking up recipes in batches, you can even freeze them to heat up later.

There’s nothing better than coming home to grab ‘something I prepared earlier’ out of the fridge or freezer. As well as saving you time, it’s also better for your wallet, and your waistline – keeping the temptation of splurging on costly fast food at bay.

 

Bring Baby Along

 

So, you’ve just had a baby. Surely, this means you can’t go out anymore?

Think again. If your baby is well-behaved (and even if they’re not), get them accustomed to joining you on your lunch, dinner, and shopping dates. Although this may sound controversial, being a parent is about making kids fit into your lifestyle, not the other way around.

Yes, things change when you become a mom. But, you still need to prioritize yourself and your mental health – and continue to cultivate a life you genuinely enjoy.

 

Conclusion

 

Maintaining mental health is not just a luxury for moms; it is a fundamental necessity. It empowers you to manage the demands of motherhood while cherishing and creating lasting memories with your family. Through practical self-care strategies like prioritizing sleep, indulging in personal time, and implementing habit-stacking techniques, moms can find balance and rejuvenation. Remember, treating yourself with respect and love isn’t just about better mothering; it’s about fostering your own well-being. By integrating these practices into your daily life, you ensure that you are not only surviving but thriving, thereby providing the best version of yourself to those who depend on you most.