I think most people will agree that self care is important for our emotional wellbeing and, by extension, the wellbeing of those around you. But as a new parent, or primary caregiver, having two seconds to yourself can seem like a lifetime ago when you’re looking after a brand new human – even a relatively new human, a ‘getting more independent by the day’ human or an independent toddler bot… I could go on, but you get the idea. Adjusting to having a whole little life dependent on you can take some adjusting to, including adjusting your self care to compliment your new life. So, I thought I’d share my favourite acts of self care for new parents that take a matter of minutes.
Self Care For New Parents: Wearing Fragrance
Wearing a fragrance is simple act that takes just seconds, but delivers little burst of self care throughout the day. Before Elise was born, I only wore perfume on special occasions. To be honest, even then it was only to about 50% of special occasions as I tended to forget. After Elise was born, I started to wear perfume more regularly. I can’t remember when or my reasoning behind it. Whether I did it intentionally as self care or whether I realised a little way in that it was a good act of self care. Either way, it’s helped and I’ve made wearing perfume a part of my daily routine.
Self Care For New Parents: Skincare
As my mental health deteriorated, so did the care I took of my skin. It took some effort, but improving my skincare routine made a difference to how I felt about myself. It’s also helped me gauge when I’m starting to struggle – I don’t have the energy or will to do a quick evening skincare routine. When this happens, I make sure to take some time out the next day to rest, regroup and work out what’s bothering me and what (or if) I can do about it.
A skincare routine doesn’t have to be long or in-depth. I found it helpful to build in a product or two at a time. So my non-existent evening routine became moisturising before bed. Once this became a regular occurrence, I added in cleanse and tone. Then eye cream and finally a facial serum.
Breaking it down into baby steps made it manageable. If you’re finding your skincare routine is feeling overwhelming or you just don’t have time for it, you could try this in reverse – taking out one or two steps/products until you find a balance that works for you.
Self Care For New Parents: Bullet Journal
Life with a little one can leave you with so many thoughts and things to do, but the inability to remember or do them! My memory is pretty rubbish anyway, without the addition of a little life to guide and care for. Using my bullet journal to organise my thoughts and to-do list was a game changer. Even just to get them out of my head and onto paper makes such a difference and reduces how much and how often I feel overwhelmed.
When things have been particularly difficult, I’ve also been including self care pages with an affirmation, which I’d add a drawing linked to the text every day (as much as possible) throughout the week and a ‘3 positives of the day’ section.
If you’re not into bullet journaling, you could create something similar with a diary, either paper copy or digital – whatever works for you.
Self Care For New Parents: Exercise
When you think of exercise, what does your mind picture? For many, this will be time spent at the gym, long runs or an exercise class. Don’t get me wrong – these are great forms of exercise. But, they’re a little unrealistic for most new parents.
When thinking about exercise, it’s important to consider any pre-existing medical conditions. The type of birth and any complications are also important to consider. I’d recommend getting the ok from a medical professional, particularly if you want to start an exercise routine in the first few weeks/months after giving birth.
With that said, I’ve found exercise to be beneficial to a person’s physical and mental health. For me, this came in the form of yoga. Again, I need to add a caveat here that yoga isn’t suitable for everyone. When I say this, I’m thinking of both new parents and those with a hypermobility syndrome like hEDS. Once again, check with a medical professional if you’re unsure. Always listen to your body.
A short yoga routine is something I’ve been actively trying to incorporate into my evening routine. Creating a yoga routine isn’t something I’ve attempted. Instead, I use Barbra Currie’s 7 secrets of yoga programmes. Once I’ve done them a few times with the video, I practice from memory which reduces the time my exercise routine takes. I find yoga, particularly Barbra Currie’s 10 minute miracle a great way to reset my mind and body after a day being Mum.
Self Care For New Parents: Getting Out Of The House
Despite the hurdles it poses (significant grass allergy, access issues, lighting, etc.), getting out of the house for even a few minutes a day has been a great way to reset and regroup.
Elise loves being out and about. She watches everything from the safety of my chest, engrossed and constantly learning. Or, she falls asleep. Either way, it gives me some time to gather my thoughts or distract myself (depending on what I need at the time), while knowing that she’s safe, happy and her needs are being met.
Self Care For New Parents: Babywearing
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or this is the first time you’ve visited my blog – in which case hi and welcome!), you probably know that babywearing is a big part of Elise’s and my life. It’s a great tool for me as a disabled parent (i.e. being able to get out of the house). It’s also been a fantastic form of self care for me, in so many ways.
I’ve spoken about the self care aspect of babywearing in my The Joy Of Babywearing post, so I won’t repeat myself.
What are your favourite acts of self care for new parents (or anyone with just a matter of minutes to spare)?
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