On this week’s post, we’re taking a little break from the highly sensitive child posts because as a parent, taking care of your own mental health is so important. This past week I shared a few of my favorite things that help me with my own mental health. Here are the highlights in case you missed it:
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Family
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Traveling
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Hiking
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Cooking & baking (my brick oven pizzas are legendary!)
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Watercolor
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Decaf coffee & tea
Here are 3 reasons taking care of your own mental health, helps you take care of those around you.
Taking care of yourself helps you be a better ____________.
I purposely left this blank because there are so many roles that each of us have to fill on a daily basis. A few of mine would be wife, daughter, mother, sister, therapist and friend. I know it’s important to figure out what I want and need so that I have enough time and energy for those around me. Since time and energy come in a limited supply, I want to make sure that people don’t remember me for being irritated and frustrated. When I take care of myself by doing things that I love, I feel more at peace.
Taking care of yourself helps you take care of others.
I know we hear this often but it’s very difficult to put it into practice. One of the things that I do when I’m noticing I’m getting agitated at someone else or a situation, I ask myself, “What do I need?” This is a good way to help me check in with myself and figure out if I need a break or to walk away for a few minutes. One of my favorite resets is to listen to music, (I created a specific play list that is very calming for me) or do a 15-minute meditation. Afterwards, I’m ready to manage the current situation without having regrets.
Taking care of yourself helps you take care of your community.
This might not be something we hear very often but I do think it’s important to give back to your community when possible. There are a lot of ways to do this either through volunteer work or donations. When we are too wrapped up in our wants and needs alone, it can cause us to become selfish and self-centered. When we work on meeting our own needs, a little everyday even, we have more capacity to love and care for others.
Some of what I said above may seem contradictory but I believe it’s all about finding balance in order to find peace. When we’re too focused on our own wants and needs, that leads to selfishness. When we’re too focused on other’s wants and needs, that lead to burn out. I believe one aspect of life is learning how to find balance and one of the best ways to find that, is taking care of yourself on a daily basis.
I hope this helps you implement practical ways you can take care of yourself in order to care for others. If you would like support in how to find peace in your daily life, please feel free to contact me at 317.496.0456 or email lisa@peacefamilycounseling.com. If you’re looking for help parenting your child, I offer parent coaching online and more information can be found on our website. If you are looking for help with depression, anxiety, trauma or behavioral concerns, our physical location is in Greenwood, IN, and you can read more about how I can help at my website peacefamilycounseling.
