How Can I Practice Better Self Care as a Parent?

Dr. Leesha

MD, MPH

Dr. Leesha is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist who shares a heartfelt message of love, hope, and acceptance for moms. As a practicing physician, dynamic public speaker, wife, mommy, and parenting expert, she skillfully weaves sound medical advice with practical strategy grounded in years of clinical care, current research, and personal experience.

Learn more about Dr.Leesha on her website: https://drleesha.com/about/

woman sitting in a chair with a mug

What to Know

Self-care IS NOT:

  • Selfish
  • Self-indulgent
  • Ignoring the needs of others
  • Relegated to massages and hanging out with the girls

Self-care IS:

  • Daily and intentionally choosing to make yourself and your needs a priority
  • Becoming fiercely protective of your own happiness and well-being
  • Learning to say “no” to those things that don’t feed your soul
  • Creating and maintaining healthy boundaries
  • Letting go of toxic relationships
  • Searching for purpose and meaning even while enduring painful circumstances
  • Practicing kindness and self-compassion
  • Authenticity
  • Vulnerability

What to Do

Real self-care encompasses wholeness and wellness on every level – physically, emotionally, spiritually, relationally, financially, and intellectually.

I like to think of self-care in levels.

Level 1 of self-care is the essentials, the minimum requirements for basic self-care. What that looks like is:

  • Restful and restorative sleep
  • Time blocked for relaxation and leisure (i.e. a break)
  • Physical and emotional safety

These are the necessities.

Level 2 encompasses nurturing your body, mind, and soul. This means:

  • Physical activity totaling at least 150 minutes per week as recommended by the American Heart Association
  • Eating nutritious foods – I call this eating the rainbow such that you should incorporate fruits and vegetables representing the colors of the rainbow at every meal
  • Maintaining healthy relationships with family, friends, and others
  • Eliminating toxic relationships
  • Developing healthy coping skills to manage stress
  • Spiritual practices like prayer and meditation

Level 3 is for growth, transformation, and evolution which consists of:

  • Reading books that stretch you cognitively and foster a love of learning
  • Actively pursuing your purpose and chasing your dreams
  • Charitable acts through philanthropy and volunteerism
  • Investing in yourself through coaching, obtaining degrees and certifications, and entrepreneurial pursuits

Let’s Chat!

We know parenting often means sleepless nights, stressful days, and countless questions and confusion, and we want to support you in your feeding journey and beyond. Our Happy Baby Experts are a team of lactation consultants and registered dietitian nutritionists certified in infant and maternal nutrition – and they’re all moms, too! They’re here to offer personalized support on our free, one-on-one, live chat platform Mon-Fri 8am-8pm (EST), and Sat-Sun 8am-4pm (EST). No appointment needed, no email or sign-up required. Chat Now!

Read more about the experts that help write our content!

For more on this topic, check out the following articles:

MamaMental HealthWellness