Caregiving is challenging! Caregiving takes countless forms — parenting babies, being a foster parent of teens, acting as a caregiver for an aging family member, co-parenting alongside someone else . . . the list goes on! No matter the setting, no matter who you’re caring for, burnout is normal. But self-care can help. When you care for yourself, you’re better equipped to help those in your care. Let’s explore how parents and caregivers can bolster mental health.

Why Self-Care is Crucial for Parents and Caregivers

When flying, adults are always asked to put on their oxygen masks before assisting others. The same applies to mental health and wellness! If you’ve taken care of yourself, you’re in a better condition to care for someone else. All parents and caregivers — whether biological, adopted, foster or otherwise — need to prioritize self-care to be the best version of themselves. Self-care is essential for maintaining resilience as a caregiver and taking care of one’s mental health.

Just as we encourage practices to strengthen children’s mental health, KVC Nebraska is also passionate about helping our parents and caregivers feel supported and valued! We provide an array of services and resources to help caregivers in all situations feel that they’re never alone.

10 Self-Care Tips for Caregiver Wellbeing and Resilience

A mental health toolkit can help keep the whole family healthy, and can include things like favorite activities, journaling and a plan for what to do in a difficult mental health moment. However, parents and caregivers tend to be under a lot of pressure in different places in life and need to be extra vigilant to take care of themselves so they can better care for their children.

Here are 10 ways to prioritize self-care as a parent or caregiver:

1. Form Healthy Routines

Healthy habits and routines are an important foundation for resilience and good mental health. Routines set you up for success by giving you a healthy default mode to fall back on when things get out of sorts (as often happens when parenting).

When establishing routines, include habits that prioritize your physical wellbeing like daily exercise, having a consistent bedtime and eating healthy meals. Keep your routine realistic and try to make time for things you enjoy as well as time with loved ones.

2. Practice Gratitude and Kindness

Intentional gratitude and acts of kindness are powerful tools for giving yourself a mental health boost! According to research by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), consistently practicing gratitude by journaling or finding other ways to focus on things you’re thankful for can decrease depression, anxiety and substance abuse.

Additionally, acts of kindness and giving back boost levels of serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin (also known as the “happy hormones”), filling your heart and strengthening your mental wellness.

3. Spend Time Outside

Getting outside each day is excellent for mental wellness as it boosts vitamin D levels to increase energy. Some ideas for getting outside include:

• Going for a walk around the neighborhood
• Riding a bike
• Having a picnic
• Playing with your children in the backyard
• Or going to a park or playground

4. Establish Boundaries

Set clear boundaries for yourself with work, school, friends and family — children included! Boundaries can include things like disconnecting from your work phone and email when off the clock, for example. 

Boundaries can also look like saying “no” to extra things during busy seasons. Remember: “No” is a full sentence! It’s okay to not say yes to every school activity, church ministry or community get-together.

As a caregiver, setting boundaries might feel selfish or unnatural at first. But smart boundaries can actually improve your capacity to care for others. Parents are best equipped to help their children thrive when they’re taking care of themselves too!

5. Make Time for Personal Interests

Making time to do the things you love is another great way to give yourself a happy hormone boost. Hobbies like playing an instrument, participating in sports, crafting or gardening can help you feel grounded and at peace, even when your life circumstances are tumultuous. Finding time for your hobbies may be more difficult than before you had children in your care, so look for intentional moments you can schedule into your day. This might mean waking up earlier or staying up later when your children are in their early years. Don’t be afraid to lean on a partner, neighbor, family member or friend to allow yourself space.

6. Indulge in Self-Care Moments

Self-care doesn’t always refer to a day at the spa! Indulge in self-care activities that purely exist for your enjoyment. 

When things are stressful, taking even a few hours to yourself can feel impossible. Here are some small ideas that can help you feel restored, even in an hour or less:

• Take a walk while listening to a new podcast or an audiobook
• Take a relaxing bath
• Eat dark chocolate or enjoy a fun coffee 
• Watch a comfort TV show while snuggling in a cozy blanket
• Order takeout as a treat
• Borrow a book from the library and read it with a cozy beverage
• Listen to an uplifting or empowering playlist of songs you enjoy
• Take a game break — board games, card games or video games are all fair game!
• Try a new workout with a free class online (a quick search for “at-home yoga” or “at-home strength training” will bring great results)

7. Build a Strong Support Network — and Lean On Your Crew

No one should feel like they’re doing it all alone, which is why every parent and caregiver should have a reliable support system to turn to in times of need. These are the people you can count on to help with transportation, be there in a crisis or even just watch your children when you need a date night or some alone time. 

Your support network may include parents, grandparents, neighbors, friends from a church or faith community, teachers, coaches, caseworkers, therapists and other trusted adults in your community. Lean on these people when you need it! Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

8. Make Use of Respite Care

Respite care is a valuable part of a foster parent’s support network. Respite care providers are trained and licensed foster parents who offer short-term care for children in foster care in order to give the foster parents a much-deserved break. This break can be for a vacation, dealing with personal matters or simply to have some time apart for self-care.

While respite care services aren’t always available for parents and caregivers outside of the foster system, you can establish your own form of respite care through loved ones and other trusted adults who are willing and able to take care of your children for a night or two as needed.

9. Seek to Educate and Improve Yourself

Self-care can take the form of self-improvement, whether that be reading books about mental health and trauma, going to therapy or taking continuing education courses. Opportunities to further your education can help you better understand your children and yourself, and as you heal, you can better help those you care for!

10. Ask for Help

When in doubt, ask for help! Support is vital for effective self-care. KVC Nebraska’s outpatient therapy services are available to youth, young adults, adults, families and individuals looking for support with mental health and emotional and social wellbeing. If you feel like you’re struggling to keep your head above water and self-care is just not enough, our caring, trauma-informed and highly trained therapists can guide you with either in-office or in-home therapy.

KVC Nebraska is Here to Help

Being intentional about self-care starts with admitting that you are human and that sometimes you need help. It’s not selfish to set boundaries, do things you love, prioritize yourself or ask others to help you.

If you are a caregiver in need of additional support, contact KVC at 402-880-4926 or e-mail us to start the referral process.