Things Moms Need for Mental Health Support
We talk a lot about how moms can experience burnout from the everyday stresses of motherhood. It isn’t easy to play so many different roles day after day without starting to feel worn out. Of course we love leaning into daily self care and we will always shout from the rooftops how important this is. But what else can moms do to support their mental health? Better yet, what can others do to help the mental health of the moms in their lives? There are four key things every mom should have to support her mental health:
Rest
It’s important to take the time to rest and recharge your batteries when you need to. If your body feels like you need a break during the day, take one. Rest doesn’t always have to mean sleep. It could be resting in your favorite comfortable spot with minimal distractions. It could be taking five minutes to take deep breaths. Eliminating activity and stimuli that keep us on alert is the key to resting. If you are able to sneak in a nap, do it! There’s nothing wrong with taking a nap.
Rest also means getting enough sleep at night. Make sure you set a bedtime, preferably by 10pm for optimal sleep and deep resting. Your body cannot function without enough sleep, and it is not a badge of honor to always be the “tired mom.”
Therapy or Someone to Talk With
We know you carry a lot on your heart and your mind all the time. Having a trusted friend or family member to talk to is so important for your mental health to be able to get those heavy, frustrating, or anxious feelings out. If you don’t feel like you have someone you can trust with your emotions and feelings, consider seeking out a licensed therapist to help. They are trained to help you navigate the tough emotions that come with motherhood and give you the tools to make your days easier.
Time for Themselves
Every mom needs to carve out time just to be with themselves each day. Ideally, this would be a time where you get to do something you truly enjoy like reading, a craft, or just resting. Try your best not to use your alone time to do housework or catch up on things your family needs. This time is just for you; to decompress and not worry about the other things that are going on in your life. Having alone time also helps with the feeling of being touched out that many moms feel, especially with younger kids in the home.
Help with Childcare
In our society, it’s almost become a badge of honor for moms to say they do everything all on their own. But that only leads to an abundance of stress and the feeling of being burned out all the time. It’s not realistic for one person to carry the weight of everything necessary to raise kids. That’s why moms need help with childcare. Being able to have someone you trust to help watch your kids is invaluable and incredibly important to your mental health. This will free up some of your time to be able to work freely, explore your own passions and hobbies, and give you more of that alone time that we just talked about. As a bonus, it’s a good thing for your kids to have interactions with other people including family members, friends, and caregivers. Even if you choose to have a babysitter or family member watch your kids for a couple of hours each week, this will be a game changer for you and your mental health.
