​Parenting Self-Care Practices and Benefits

I’m sure you’ve heard the term self-care by now. It basically means taking time to care for your needs. These needs include physical ones like sleep, water and food, as well as emotional, psychological, social, and intellectual needs. 
 
As parents we often feel our needs come last. We are expected to focus on the needs of our kids, partners, friends, and family. It is becoming increasingly evident that we ALL have needs and that self-care is a NECESSARY part of our well-being. 
 
There are three huge benefits to engaging in a regular self-care practice as the parent of a teen:

1. When you are at your best, then you are more likely to be a better parent!
   When your needs are being met, you will have a more flexible mindset and be better able to recover from setbacks. You tend to be less reactive and more responsive which leads to better choices in parenting practices. You’re also more likely to create happier and healthier memories with your teen. Think about how you feel/act when you are sleep deprived versus well rested?  Now do you see what I mean?
   
   
2. As you engage in self-care practices you are modeling for your teen that this is part of being healthy!
   Remember your kids are watching everything you do, including how you treat and talk to yourself. Modeling healthy self-love is key to building healthy self-esteem and a strong sense of self-worth in your teen. Even though it feels like they are not paying attention most of the time, remember they care more about what you do versus what you say.
   
   
3. You feel better, healthier, happier, and more grounded. 
   Parenting is exhausting let’s be honest. Parenting teens can be extra tough on us as parents because of the high levels of emotion, stress, and the big adjustments happening. Taking time to feed your soul and spirit is vital to resiliency and maintaining healthy lives and relationships with others. 

So what exactly does self-care look like, practically speaking?
​Download my FREE Self-Care List of ideas to get you started!

Download List