In the best of times, making room for yourself in your schedule as a new parent is difficult. Throw in the pandemic and your own comfort levels of health and safety, and it may seem downright impossible! However, it is definitely important for you and your mental health to take time for yourself. Here are some self care ideas for moms and parents that can be a good springboard for other ways you can nurture your spirit and body.
What is self care and why is it important?
Additional self care ideas for new moms
While a lot of the previous tips are internal work, sometimes, you just need ideas of what to do.
5) Take advantage of interstitial moments
Look for ways you can incorporate self care into your daily life — even during the banal and humdrum. Find moments in your day when you can multitask and have it work in your favor. Listen to podcasts while running errands, chat with your friends while doing groceries (or even grocery shop together), watch K-dramas when feeding the baby, or put on a face mask and sit down for a few moments while your baby naps.
“Listening to audiobooks, podcasts or music while I did the mundane things helped me keep my mind in a positive place,” mother of two Lisa Curzon told Mom.com. “If I didn't get to finish it, I at least knew I had something to look forward to when the next mundane task came around.”
6) Schedule it
Maybe you will still have the space for spontaneity after having babies, but some folks need to build it into their lifestyle.
Jessica Eastman Stewart explained how she and her partner created a “weekend formula” where they each get alone time as well as alone time with the kids. “Knowing that every weekend would have some alone time that I could plan however I wanted was really critical,” she told us. “Without the deliberate planning, we wouldn’t have made it happen most weekends.”
