Everyone wants to be the best parent that they can for their child, but that doesn’t mean that it is always easy. To be able to be the best you can for your child, you need to make sure that you take care of yourself. There may be some things that you have to sacrifice because they are just not viable anymore, but you still need to try and look after yourself and do something that is just for you. It doesn’t have to be anything significant, but any time that you can spend on your self-care will be beneficial to those around you. 

Stay in touch

No matter how busy your life gets, you still need time to spend with your friends. It probably isn’t possible to meet as frequently as you would like to but you could try to meet for lunch every couple of months. Now that we have all this technology, you can also stay connected through social media and group messages. Just because you don’t have as much time to see each other, doesn’t mean that you can share a bit of daily laughter with each other. 

Join an exercise class

Now you may think that you don’t want to spend much time exercising, but not only is an exercise class good for your health, it can also be fun! There are lots of different classes to choose from, from Clubbercise to Zumba. It allows you to let loose for an hour and have a bit of fun dancing. You might even meet some new friends at the class whom you can speak to when you are there.

Make time for a hobby

Is there something that you used to do that you just stopped doing because you didn’t think you had the time? It is essential to try and stay attached to some of your passions if you can. Many hobbies like knitting, drawing or crocheting can be done when you are sat in front of the tv relaxing with your family. Others, such as meditating or journaling, can be completed in a spare 10 mins. Finding time for a hobby can help you to stay connected to yourself because sometimes, when your life is consumed by the daily routine and caring for someone else, you can start to lose yourself.

Get the help you need

There is no shame in asking for help. You could ask for help with small things or big things. Maybe you just want your partner to help with the cooking and cleaning to take a bit of the pressure off you. 

Even if you need support from somewhere like a therapist, that is okay. You don’t always need to put others first; sometimes you need to put yourself first so that you can help other people in the future. Recognizing that you need help can sometimes be hard, but once you have, the support that you will receive will make you feel much better

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