Self-Care Tips for New Moms: Prioritizing Mental Health and Wellness
You are a new mom and you are struggling. I get it. Having a new baby is so incredibly exhausting. Research tells us that a new parent’s sleep deprivation doesn’t recover from the baby's first year of life for an entire 6 years! So, yes, you are legitimately tired and it is valid.
My little one just turned 1 year old and it feels like time has flown by while simultaneously feeling like I have survived the longest days and nights of my life. I found myself revisiting how to improve my self-care routine regularly and learned that my needs were shifting at a rapid rate. I may start putting the baby down for a nap, planning on getting some overdue chores completed and find out halfway through a bottle that I really just want to shower or sit and have a snack. On average, we are losing a whopping 109-minutes of sleep per night during a baby's first year of life - that is a massive amount of minutes! It is okay if our needs are shifting, stop and listen… What do you need?
Self-Care Therapy Provides New Easy-to-Implement Ideas
Recovery within self-care looks unique to everyone! Sometimes, we are able to act in a preventative way by setting us up for success in an area that we know will be difficult with a new baby, like simplifying meal time. I love cooking and I have no time or energy to enjoy that hobby so we found some favorite freezer meals and bought prepared food that we can easily snack on or utilize to create an easy meal. Does the baby need a 4 piece matching outfit? Probably not… throw on that weather appropriate onesie and move forward with your day.
In those moments that I feel I have a surplus of time or energy, I think of “future me” and do something that I know will be helpful to me so that when I have nothing left to give later, I don’t feel so overwhelmed. That may be preparing the diaper bag for our next outing, getting feeding supplies cleaned and ready for the next feed, re-stocking diapers and wipes or even getting the next size of clothes ready so you’re not desperately searching for something that fits your baby on a hard day.
Support is Self-Care
One self-care task that we have to ensure we line up is a support team. We need to know who we can depend on if we need a longer break or someone to talk to. Whether that be a partner, parent, friend or therapist - we are actively looking to build that team up. Having a support team is only helpful if we are able to communicate with them. For example, If you are raising baby with a partner, we want to ensure that you are sharing your percentage level regularly, “I am at 20% today” - this lets your partner know that if they are sitting at 50%, maybe they take on more of the necessary tasks for the evening so that you can prioritize recovery and as a team, you both know that tonight is about the basics.
Taking time for yourself is absolutely necessary so we are going to make sure that we have a baby-proofed safe area for the baby to be in if you need a break. There is a reason the hospital staff reminds you to set your baby down and walk away if you are feeling overwhelmed. This space may be a play-pen, gated baby-proofed room or even just their crib. If you need a moment, we have to be able to give you that moment. Make sure your baby is safe and go take a break. They will be fine for a few minutes.
Back to Basics: The Easiest Path to Self-Care
Don’t forget that sometimes, we are talking about the absolute basics; have we eaten, drank water, rested and had a shower recently? Are we wearing clothes that feel comfortable and we actually feel good in? Postpartum recovery is hard - be nice to yourself! I have recently found that making a daily list OUTSIDE of my trusty planner is doing the most good for my productivity. I don’t allow myself to overwhelm my daily list - it is strictly what has to be done that day, the must haves. Speaking of lists - oh yea I am… we are going to make a “My limited resource self-care list” where we are listing the most basic moments of self-care that we can manage when we have little to no energy, time or money. It is all about our intention! This list removes the stress of finding something to help me self-care when I am most desperate for an idea.
Figuring out what works for you, what gives you time and space to revive yourself… to feel like a real human again, this is an absolute must if we are going to find our way through parenting. Let’s work together to find what self-care tasks we can add to your list to help make this time in your life more manageable. You are doing a great job and I am mad proud of how hard you have been working to survive being a new mom. You are an amazing mother.
My name is Jaimi Douthit and I’m a Licensed Professional Counseling Associate at the Center for Couples Counseling. I love working with couples and individuals who are ready and motivated to make changes in their lives and relationships, who can handle feedback and encouragement, and engage in using the tools I teach in therapy outside of the therapy room. At the Center for Couples Counseling, we specialize in couples therapy, infertility counseling, postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, self-care and burnout, and perfectionism. We help couples and individuals in the League City and Houston areas in person, and all residents of the State of Texas online. Call us at (832) 827-3288 to schedule a free phone consultation.
Begin Self Care and Burnout Therapy in Texas
Burnout can affect anyone if we’re not careful. At Center for Couples Counseling, we want to provide you with the support and guidance to help you learn self care techniques to prevent burnout from happening to you or from happening to you again. To get started in self care and burnout therapy follow these simple steps:
Meet with one of our skilled therapists
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Other Services Offered at Center for Couples Counseling
Our team understands you might be facing different mental health challenges. To best accommodate you, our Texas practice offers both in-person and online therapy. Our team of therapists specializes in individual relationship therapy, infertility counseling, postpartum anxiety and depression counseling, perfectionism counseling, affair recovery and infidelity counseling, and couples therapy. For more about us check out our FAQs and blog!