The toughest part of being a parent is the fact that it can feel like it is a drain on our resources, both mentally and physically. The reality of the situation is that it may always feel like this. This is why we have to look at the role of being a parent not as something that we can fix, but rather focus on fixing our health. If you want to be a better parent, you need to prioritize your health, which is why you need to consider some of the following approaches.
Reassessing Your Habits and Crutches
Habits can form over many years. We can all feel like we’ve earned a glass of wine at the end of a long week, but there are those that feel like they need something to keep them feeling more even-keeled. The problem is when we start to mask our stresses with substances like alcohol or other addictive behaviors that may seem healthy on the surface.
While there is professional help in the form of rehab for alcohol addiction, we can all find we’ve got some form of addiction that we believe is key to preserving our sanity. Caffeine is a fantastic example, especially for those that don’t have much sleep. But when we reassess these crutches and look at if these things are actually helping or hindering our lives, we should learn to make a break with them.
Being Aware of the Conditions That Creep Up on Us
Around the age of 40 is when certain physical or mental conditions can be “blown up.” As parents, we can feel pushed to the brink because of the stresses of modern life or our children not playing ball on that particular day. Looking at it from a holistic perspective, understanding what you are running the risk of as you progress later into life can mean that you start to prevent these problems before they get worse or, hopefully, reverse them.
If you live with asthma and now COVID has made you even more concerned that your lung health is taking a step backward, you need to consider a combination of methods. You may already be taking asthma medication, but you could also incorporate other aspects of lung health. These could include investing in a lung strengthener, using a salt pipe to clear out your passageways, as well as rethinking how you breathe.
The latter is a very important component for asthmatics, and a technique like the Buteyko breathing method is something that has helped many asthmatics reverse and actually remove all symptoms. Once you look at the conditions that can creep up on you, learning to recognize the things that can compound and have a major impact on your health later in life means you won’t have regrets you didn’t do anything sooner.
Having a Better Relationship With Stress
Many parents feel their ends are always frayed because of the duties involved. Stress is one of those things that will wear us down over time, which is why we should learn to have a better relationship with it. As we get older, we can relax into life more and not sweat the small stuff, but when we look at stress as a collection of different thoughts, feelings, and symptoms we can work on having a better relationship with it by using preventative measures and understanding what we can do to stop it in its tracks.
It might not be possible to step away from a situation that is undeniably stressful, but you can use tools like progressive muscle relaxation to deal with the physical sensations of stress in that moment. One tool that has worked very well for people is box breathing. Something that’s used by Navy Seals, box breathing can help you to calm yourself down so you don’t feel overwhelmed by the stress so you can think clearer. Stress is something that can play havoc with our thoughts and having a physical practice that can root us down will make a massive difference. Having a better relationship with stress is not about finding tools that you use when you’re feeling stressed, but about practicing them every single day.
Increasing Connection
We need to connect with other people for the sake of our health and to minimize stress. You may be a single parent or you may have a partner, but when children take up a lot of time, it’s important to find ways to increase your level of connection with someone. We can feel like we are passing ships in the night when we have a partner that we only share a bed with and seldom have the opportunity to speak to them.
Taking that time at the end of the working day to down tools and get thoughts and feelings out is so simple, but can be pivotal to your overall health. That sense of connection is something we’ve all learned to be invaluable because of the pandemic, and as your children get older you can focus on fostering that connection with them as well.
Looking at Your Long-term Physical Health
Physical health is not just about how we feel now, but it’s about how we could feel into our 80s and 90s. So many people think that the body just deteriorates, but consider the things you would like to do in your 80s and 90s. For example, would you like to hold your grandchildren up in the air? This is why we need to look at the things we want to achieve later in life in a physical sense and work back. This can mean you start to find the right workout for you as well as the habits that can keep you physically active.
The great thing is that now whether you are in your 20s, 30s, 40s, or even up to your 60s and 70s, there is still time. There are so many aspects of our health that we should fix to be better parents. Some of these components can not just ensure that we live a healthier life, but we are happier as a result.