1. 1
0
Being a parent can be hard
sometimes. OK, most of the
time.
Self-Care Tips
That Will Help
You Survive
Parenting
2. We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community what they
would suggest to stressed, busy, sleep-deprived parents.
We also checked in with clinical psychologist Christina, Psy.D.,
founder of the Arizona Postpartum Wellness Coalition, for her
advice. Here’s what they had to say.
So we
asked
3. Everyone’s situation is different,
and comparing yourself to others
is not productive or fair.
So keep in mind that some of
these may be helpful for you and
some may be totally off base.
Basically, take what you will, but
know that you’re not “doing it
wrong” if some of these seem too
much or too little for you.
Remember:
4. “There’s this myth that were supposed to give, give, give to our
children, and if we stop or put our feet up or tell them no or take time
for ourselves, that people perceive that as selfish,” says Hibbert. “But
you can’t be selfish if you don’t have a self. And if you don’t care of
yourself, you essentially are not a self.”
1Let go of any guilt you feel
about taking care of
yourself.
5. 2 Wake up a little
earlier if it’ll help
you be less
stressed.
“Start each day on a good note. If you’re
unprepared, late, or unorganized, you
are going to yell or scold the dilly
dallying kid who has no concept of time.
Make a morning game plan, wake up a
half hour (or more if needed) before and
execute.”
6. Or just take
that time to
mess
around on
the internet.
3
“I wake up about an hour
earlier than I need to just to
have a cup of coffee and play
on my phone. Husband’s
asleep, kid’s asleep, I finally
get some time to myself.
Seriously, on days I don’t get
that time, I am noticeably
crankier.”
7. Stop for a super
quick walk-in
massage between
errands.
4 “Walk-in foot or massage spas. The
BEST for stress killing and relaxation.
No need for an appointment. No need
for a lot of time, there are 20-minute to
60-minute options. Also, they are
cheap!”
8. Invest in a
jogging
stroller.5“The purchase of our jogging stroller was the best thing
we could have done. My 7-month-old has been literally
attached to my hip since birth. Pretty much every day, I
take him outside and we go for a walk, jog, or
rollerblade. And the hubs and I can go up to the local
high school track and do sprints together. Oh, and the
occasional glass of wine.”
Hmm. What am
I forgetting?
9. Aim to get
at least five
uninterrupte
d hours of
sleep.
6 New parents have probably heard the advice
“sleep when the baby sleeps” more times than
they can count. But if all you’re getting is a handful
of short naps, that’s not really enough. “A lot of
people don’t recognize we need at least a solid
chunk of five hours to just be mentally normal.
Thats the bare minimum,” says Hibbert.
