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🌱❤️ Parents, Are You OK?❤️🌱
Melissa Moore
September 13, 2024
Hello Sproutly Families,
In this fast-paced world, parenting can often feel overwhelming. Juggling the demands of daily life while nurturing your children’s emotional growth takes a lot out of us as parents. That’s why this week, we’re shifting our focus to something just as important as helping our little ones: taking care of ourselves.
Whether it’s learning to set boundaries, finding small moments of calm, or navigating the complex emotions that come with parenthood, we’ll provide tips and strategies to help you stay grounded.
Remember, when we prioritize our own mental health, we become better, more present parents for our children. Let’s take this journey together—because when you thrive, so does your family.
In this newsletter, you will get....
Feature Articles
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The American Psychological Association published an article titled Parental Burnout and Stress, offering strategies to help parents manage overwhelm and burnout.
Kristin Neff teaches that self-compassion can protect us from negative self-thoughts, which is something most of us deal with on a daily basis, especially when we are feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. Here is a collection of practices to help promote inner peace and joy: Self-Compassion Exercises
Activity of the Week
Photo by Katerina Kolomina on Pexels
The Self-Compassion Pause
This activity is designed to help you slow down, acknowledge your feelings, and offer yourself kindness. It can be done in just a few minutes, whenever you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or need a mental break.
Acknowledge Your Feelings
Take a moment to pause and tune into how you’re feeling. Identify the emotions you’re experiencing. Naming the feeling is the first step to managing it.
Say to yourself:
“I’m feeling [name the emotion] right now, and that’s okay.”
“It’s normal to feel this way; parenting is hard.”
Place a Hand on Your Heart or Hug Yourself
Gently place your hand on your heart or give yourself a hug. This simple physical gesture signals comfort and care to your body. It can help release some of the tension you’re holding.
Take a few deep breaths, and as you do, say something kind to yourself, like:
“I’m doing my best.”
“It’s okay to struggle; I’m only human.”
“I deserve care and kindness too.”
Reframe Negative Thoughts
Recognize any critical thoughts you’re having about yourself. Are you being too hard on yourself? Replace these thoughts with more compassionate, realistic ones.
For example:
Instead of: “I should be handling this better,” say, “I’m doing the best I can, and that’s enough.”
Instead of: “I’m failing as a parent,” say, “I’m learning and growing every day, just like my children.”
Offer Yourself Support
Ask yourself: "What do I need right now?" It could be a short break, a deep breath, or reaching out to someone for support. Listen to what your body and mind are asking for, and give yourself permission to take that step.
You might say:
“What I need right now is rest, and I’m going to allow myself to take a break.”
“I need to talk to someone who understands. I’ll reach out for support.”
Return to the Moment
After a few moments of self-compassion, gently guide yourself back to your day. Carry the sense of kindness and care with you, knowing that you’ve acknowledged your feelings and offered yourself the support you need.
This short, mindful activity can help you recharge and approach parenting with a more balanced, kind perspective.
Parenting today looks very different than it did for our parents and previous generations. We face many more pressures and expectations. We hope that you find ways to break the cycle of negative self-talk, take moments to reset emotionally and mentally, and understand that you are doing the best you can in the moment. By treating yourself with the same kindness you would give your child, you cultivate self-compassion, which strengthens your emotional resilience over time.
Warmly,
Millie & Melissa
The Sproutly Team
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