Self Care for Parents
Parenting can be stressful for all parents, but especially so for parents of children with special needs. Caring for a child with special needs can feel overwhelming, particularly if you don't have adequate support. Without enough support, parents can experience caregiver burnout — a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion, which can negatively impact the whole family.
Parents of children with developmental, psychiatric, or learning disorders are much more likely to experience anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue and marital stress, according to studies. To avoid burnout, it is essential for parents and caregivers to attend to their own needs. Below are suggestions to help you stay healthy and centered.
Find your support system: It can be easy to lose touch with friends and life outside the home. Making time to see friends, have a date night, or attend a support group builds social connection and alleviates feelings of isolation.
Take care of your health: Self-care routines can quickly go out the window when we spend so much of our energy caring for others, but we can’t take care of others unless we care for ourselves. It is important to get enough sleep each night, eat nutritious food, and regularly exercise.
Practice mindfulness: When moving rapidly through our day, we are not always able to focus fully on the present moment. This can obscure our emotions, and prevent us from attending to them. Mindfulness is all about focusing our awareness on the present moment, and acknowledging our thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations so we can manage them appropriately. This may just involve slowing things down, and not rushing to get to the next thing.
Ask for help: Accepting our limits involves leaning more on others, even when we have the urge to do it all ourselves. When we shoulder all the responsibility, it can push us towards a breaking point. Ask family and friends if they can help babysit or pick up groceries, for instance. Research respite care where you live to help create some ‘me time’. It really does take a village!
When we feel balanced and supported, we are able to be more present and available for our children. We are also able to model calm, which helps to create a calmer household. High Point ABA is always here for behavioral support should you need it.